#also like the thing with steve and the book and the family getting mad at him?
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Why do you have to be so stupid?
Summary: stupidity gets you killed. (Nearly)
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x gn!reader
Tw: mentions of past suicide attempt, injured reader
Words: 3.5k
a/n: This is my second work Iâve posted here, I had wrote this a few days ago and I decided to post it. Even tho nobodyâs gonna read this, but hey if youâre a reader here. Hi! đŤśđźđĽš
The sky was dark, the moon and the stars were shining bright that night. I walked through the dark alley, feeling my blood running down my stomach. The mission didnât go as planned. It seemed that they already knew I was coming, they were ready. I put on a good fight and got the flash drive, but it wasnât enough for me to escape. The moment I heard the gunshots and felt a sharp pain on my body, I knew that I needed to leave. They were too many, I was only one. I couldnât call for back up. Nobody from the team knew that I was going to that mission. Fury had said it was too dangerous for someone to go alone, he was planning on bringing the whole team there in a few days. But it would be too late in a few days. I knew it was a stupid decision, but I wanted to help the team. Even though the mission was a success, my chances to survive were very low. The bullet wounds al over my body looked serious.
Standing with my back against the wall, I tried to breathe. I had already lost a lot of blood, I was feeling so weak and my vision was blurry. That was it. That was the way I would die. Not by some heroic act, but because I was an idiot for having to go alone there without telling anyone. I started to think about my friends, back at the compound. The avengers had become my family. I thought about Tony and his sarcastic comments, I thought about what he would say if he saw me like this. Tony was like a father to me, the father I never had. I thought about Steve, that old man.. He would probably lecture me if he was here, telling me that I need to think before acting.
Bruce. We were never that close with the man but Iâve always respected him. He was a very clever guy, he had also saved me from many dumb injuries. Thor. I didnât see him that often nowadays, he had go back to Asgard something about having to deal with his idiotic brother, Loki. He would always tell me stories about other planets and people he had met. I was closer to Clint from the other guys. I could say he was a great friend and very loyal to me as I was to him. He was a great spy, and he was usually the one I trained with.
Wanda would be probably mad at me if she saw me like this. She had scolded me many times, usually when I made dumb decisions like this one. But we loved each other, we were friends since day one. We were always by each otherâs side. I didnât want to leave her alone in this world, even though she had the rest of the team. I was the only closest person to her, as she had said many times before.
And Natasha⌠I slid down the wall, wincing as the bullets inside me moved. I clenched my fist as I pressed down on my biggest wound. I didnât want Natasha to see me like this. Even though she was used to seeing people dying, I couldnât do this to her. I didnât want to die. Natasha was a closed person, only Clint and I were able to read her as an open book. I couldnât leave her alone. I brought my hand to my neck, touching the necklace she had gave to me. A small golden spider was hanging from it, with her initials engraved on the back of it. It was a gift for my 23rd birthday. It was the best day of my life that day.
I started thinking about how things would be after my death. I guessed I still had a bit of time left. I used to want to end it all. In my teenage years. Back then it was hard for me. I had no one to call family. No friends. I was close to that railing, so close to my death. Ready to jump off, I was so done with my life. But she was the one who saw me, she was the one who ran up to me and tried to call me down so I wouldnât jump. And she succeeded. She saved me from killing my own self. Natasha Romanoff, she saved my life. Many times. She was my person. And I loved her.
But now she couldnât save me. Right know she thought that I was out for a simple walk. Eventually she would start to realise something was wrong after I was gone for hours. She would start looking for me, calling me, calling the team. Then they would all search for me, until theyâd finally get the news that I was dead. All because I couldnât stop being stupid.
Looking one more time up in the sky, I whispered softly more to myself. âIâm sorry..â Breathing out, I tried to find my peace but the universe had other plans. Footsteps were heard in the distance, every second it was louder until it reached in front of me. I tried to open my eyes, trying to figure out who was standing in front of me. When I felt soft hands on my face, I opened my mouth to speak but was stopped by a familiar voice speaking louder to someone in the distance. âI found her! Sheâs here, come help me.â
Finally, when my eyes focused again I recognised the person in front of me. Those familiar green eyes, and the familiar red hair made me smile a bit and whisper. âHey, love..â I watched as her lips curled up in a soft smile, but her eyes remained worried. âHey, sweetheart..â
I went to talk but a pain on my chest kept me from speaking. Natasha was quick to notice and she pressed her palm against my cheek, carefully caressing it. âDonât speak too much, Đ´ĐžŃОгОК. We will get you out of here, just hang on..â She said as she pressed her lips to my forehead and turned around as more footsteps began to appear around us.
âThe jetâs ready, we can get her inside now..â I heard Steveâs voice from my left. âIs she okay?â He asked Natasha.
âShe will be when we get her home. Come on guys, we need to move.â Natasha said as she gave me a soft squeeze before she stood back up. âDamn it, y/n. When will you stop being stupid..â Hearing Clintâs voice made me feel so bad. They were all worried about me, they didnât deserve what they were going through because of me. âIâm -Iâm sorry..â I whispered but it was enough for the team to hear it.
âItâs okay, y/n.. Youâre gonna be okay..â A soft hand landed gently on my shoulder, caressing it carefully. I looked up to see Wanda, looking down at me. I smiled at her as the guys came closer and pulled me up. I winced and grabbed Steveâs arm to get more steady as they walked me inside the jet.
The whole flight was a blur. I remember Natasha sitting beside the bed I was laying in, holding my hand the whole time. We didnât talk much. They had stopped the bleeding but still I had lost a lot of blood so I had to be at the hospital asap. Clint was flighting the jet, while the others were in some conversation about the flash drive I had retrieved. Wanda was sitting close to me but away enough to give me and Natasha some privacy.
I wanted to close my eyes but Natasha didnât let me. She would say dumb things to distract me from closing them. Even though she tried to mask her emotions, I could really see right through her. Iâve learned to read her over the years, I knew when she was anxious, sad, mad, annoyed and happy. Even now that she tried to mask her anxiety and fear, it didnât work to me.
When we got there, they quickly took me inside and brought me to the doctors. I couldnât remember what happened exactly next. I could hear Natasha talking to me but I couldnât hear any word that escaped her mouth. My vision blurry and not being able to feel my legs. Then everything went black.
â
I woke up by a beeping sound, trying to focus my vision to the bright light of the room. When i did that, I slowly looked around. It looked like a hospital room, a small TV in front of me on the wall, on my left a window and a door on the other side of the room. I was laying in a bed, it was comfy but my body felt numb. I heard soft snores beside me and turned my head immediately towards the noise. I relaxed when I noticed the redhead sitting in a chair beside my hospital bed, sleeping in a clearly uncomfortable position.
I tried to move but everything felt so weird, so I tried to speak. After a few tries I finally got to speak softly, hoping to not scare the green eyed woman sleeping. âTasha..â I spoke but she didnât even stir. So I tried again a bit louder this time. âNatasha!â I whisper-yelled. As much as I didnât want to wake her up, I couldnât just sit there and watch her lay there so uncomfortably.
Thatâs when she finally woke up, she looked around clearly confused by who woke her up. When she found my eyes she relaxed and smiled. She sat upright and took my hands, âGlad youâre awake, ĐźĐžŃ ĐťŃйОвŃ.. How are you feeling?â She asked.
âI donât know.. I feel kind of numb. What happened?â I asked her, hoping for some information. Natasha sighed and began talking, âYou passed out the moment we got you inside the hospital. You had lost so much blood, y/n.. If we were late a few minutes, you wouldnât have survived.. Thankfully, the doctors took you in immediately, saying that you needed surgery.â She paused to see my expression. It didnât scare me at all, I was glad that I was still there. I was thankful to the doctors who saved me. I couldnât imagine the reactions of the team if they found out I was actually dead. âThey took out the bullets from your body, seven bullets y/n.â She closed her eyes, trying to calm down herself.
âHow long I was out..?â I couldnât help but ask. Natasha looked so tired, like she hadnât slept for days. âSix days. After the surgery the doctors said that they put you into a coma so that your body would recover properly. They werenât sure when you were going to wake up.â She let my hands and stand up from the chair, walking towards the window of the room, looking down the busy street. âThe team came to visit you, all of us hoping you would wake up. Clint and Wanda stayed for a few days but I told them to go back home, staying at the hospital isnât really that great and sleeping in a chair is also uncomfortable..â
âBut you stayed..â I whispered, my face suddenly getting sad. She was really a wreck because of me.
âOf course I stayed, why wouldnât I? I wouldnât leave you alone, y/n.â She turned back to look at me with that sad expression. Slowly walking towards me, she crouched down beside my side, her face at the same height as mine. âIâm glad youâre okay.. I donât know what I would do without you.â
I smiled and mumbled, âIâm glad Iâm okay too..â but the next thing I felt was a slight pain on my shoulder, looking at her eyes in disbelief I said, âDid you just punch me? What was that for?!â
âThat was for being stupid, you dumb idiot. Why would you go there on your own, even when Fury said that it was incredibly dangerous for one person?â She said, clearly frustrated. âAnd I didnât even hit you that hard, stop being a baby.â
âAh, fuck of..â I shook my head but quickly regretted it as I saw Natashaâs face. The murderous look she gave me made me shut up and mumble a âsorryâ to her. As silence surrounded us, I decided to look back towards her. âLook.. Iâm sorry, I know what I did was stupid. And Iâm so sorry I made you go through all of this, that wasnât really my intention. The plan was to finish the mission and come back home, I didnât know that things would get bad..â
âItâs okay, Iâm just glad youâre alright now.â She sighed and moved to hug my side so softly as she was afraid to hurt me. I moved slowly my arm and pulled her more into the bed, making her lay there beside me. Natasha put her head on my chest, with her strong arms around my waist. We laid there for what seemed to be an eternity, just relaxing in the presence of each otherâs. We made a small talk, with her telling me that I was in big trouble when we would go back to the compound. Something about Tony being extremely mad and talking about grounding me until I was thirty. I knew he couldnât do that, and that really made me wanna laugh. He couldnât really ground a twenty-five year old, but it would be fun to see him trying.
A few days later I got the okay to leave the hospital, and I was over the moon. I really hated hospitals, something about them made me want to go as far away as I could from them. But with the company of Natashaâs, it was a bit more enjoyable. Wanda had visited me while I was still at the hospital, we sat for hours and talked. She was also kinda mad about my idiotic actions, at first she wouldnât talk to me but then she gave in. Natasha gave us time to catch up and brought us lunch when it was time. Clint sadly couldnât visit, he had gone back to his family for a few days. But he promised to be back when I got back home.
The ride home was calming, Natasha was driving with Wanda on the passenger seat. I was sitting in the back, looking out the windows. I couldnât exactly walk with my left foot. A bullet had caused a bit of a damage there, but I had started physical therapy to make it better. As my doctor said, I would be able to start training in a few weeks. The bullet hole in my chest also started to heal faster, the one on my abdomen was a little bit bigger and it still hurt when I walked. The doctor said I needed more rest so everything would full heal.
When we arrived at the compound, I noticed Steve waiting outside. Natasha parked the car and helped me get out from the back. As Steve went to take me from her in order to get me inside, she simply gave him a look and he backed up. I nodded towards him and continued walking with Natasha inside the building. Nobody else was there so I supposed the rest of the team was in some mission. As the red head helped me up to my room, Wanda passed by to ask us if we wanted something to eat. When we kindly declined, she left and Natasha set me into my bed. âAlright, I have to do something first. Can you wait for me? It wonât be long.â She said, tucking my injured leg in some pillows. I nodded and gave her a gentle smile as I watched her leave the room.
I reached the TV remote that was beside me on the nightstand, switching it on and selecting a movie to watch while Natasha was gone. It didnât took her long to come back and when she finally came in she had in her hands many snacks and drinks. I looked at her mesmerised, my mouth was hanging open as I watched her come and sit beside me on the bed. âWhatâs all of this?â I asked, even though I knew.
âSnacks! I thought it would be less boring if we watched a movie and eat together until we have to go downstairs.â She said with excitement in her voice. While I was still in shock I laid there, donât knowing what to say. âYouâre staring..â She grinned, knowing she had caught me.
Shaking my head, I looked down at my hands suddenly getting nervous around her. Still after all these years she still had that effect on me. âHow can I not? Youâre perfect..â I said, finally looking over her face only to see her blush. âAwh, look at you. Youâre blushing! I made the Black Widow blush!!â I grinned, throwing my fist in the air like I won.
âShut up..â Natasha said, looking away. It never got old. I liked teasing her, she wanted everyone to think like she was a baddie but in reality she really was a softie. At least when she was with me. I smiled softly, making her look at me weirdly, âWhy the fuck are you smiling?â She said, trying to look serious but she failed miserably. That only made me laugh more. âSeriously, y/n.â
I threw my hands up, like I was surrendering. âOkay, okay. Sorry, no need to give me that look.â My laugh had stopped by now and I was just grinning at her. âI was smiling because Iâm happy. You make me so happy, Natasha.â I sighed, gently turning my body a bit so I could face her fully. I took her hands in mine, squeezing them slightly. âAnd I want to thank you. Thank you for being here the past few days, you never left my side and Iâm thankful for that. Also I want to thank you for being with me every day for the past few years. You saved my life so many times, because of you Iâm still here.â I watched as her eyes watered but she didnât dare to speak so I continued. âYou know I was in a place where there was no escape, I was so done with life. I didnât have anyone by my side. No one to call my person, no one to talk to about my problems. But you Natasha, you came into my life and helped me to understand that lifeâs worth living. Damn it, you made me scared of death. You know how fucking scared I was in that alley? I had realised that I didnât want to die, I didnât want to leave you alone. I wanted to live, I wanted to stay here with you. I wanted us to keep having picnic dates, movie nights together, to spend time together doing absolutely nothing. I wanted us to keep sleeping together at night, to keep waking up together in the mornings. I wanted you to keep yelling at me whenever I made a stupid decision, to see your face when you were so mad at me for something so dumb. But more importantly I wanted to be able to see again that smile,â I motioned to her face. Tears spilling down her cheeks as she tried not to cry. I took a breath before speaking again. âNatasha Romanoff, you make me want to live. Youâre the best thing that ever happened to me. I canât believe that I canât go a day without seeing those beautiful eyes. You mean everything to me and I donât know how long it took me to realise it but I can say now that Iâm literally so fucking in love with you.â I finished, softly looking at her.
âLove..â She paused as her voice broke. âIâm so in love with you too.. So much..â After hearing those words my heart jumped, I shot towards her taking her in my arms and holding her. I pulled away from the hug, catching her lips with mine, kissing her slowly with love. Honestly it was one of these moments where Natasha would be so comfortable with me that she let herself cry in front of me. Being vulnerable in front of me. And I loved that, not that she cried. But because she was comfortable enough to show her true self, she was open about her feelings.
Natasha Romanoff, was in love with me. And I was in love with her. And it only took for me to nearly die for us two to accept it and confess it to each other. But now, that all of this was over, that I was okay and alive with my girl beside me. I felt like I could win everything.
#natasha romanoff x you#natasha romanoff comfort#soft natasha romanoff#natasha romanoff fluff#natasha romanoff x reader#natasha x you#black widow#natasha x reader
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I've been thinking a lot about Steve lately. I really like thinking about how situations and family dynamics shape people. These quotes specifically, "and Steveâ his hatred for his father coming out in his soft, bitter voice and the violence of his temper" and "We never could tell who we'd find stretched out on the sofa in the morning. It was usually Steve, whose father told him about once a week to get out and never come back."
And I know how strange it feels to have parents that are shitty but give you a lot of things materially. He has a car and gets a lot of pity money but his dad never does anything but try to push him to the side and forget about him. There's nothing canon that shows his Dad physically abuses him in any way so there's a good chance he told himself to just be grateful he got so much and his dad wasn't 'that bad.' He's resentful and angry and impulsive and so damn complex and we should talk about that more.
"I thought of Soda and Steve. What if one of them saw the other killed? Would that make them stop fighting? No, I thought, maybe it would make Soda stop, but not Steve. He'd go on hating and fighting," Steve is described as hateful and angry but what else is there for him to do? He can't just leave, he's too attached to where he is but staying isn't good either.
He's mad at the world he was born into, who wouldn't be? Greasers get all the rough breaks but he can't fix that, he's just one kid. (Also he definitely feels like a character that thrives off of being able to fix things, cars, problems, anything that he deems needing 'fixing')
And despite his temper being a big part of his personality that's not all of it. He's friends with Soda, and likes to indulge him. He's got a dry sense of humor and cares so much about anyone that cares for him back. He's protective he's caring and sure sometimes that means he gets violent and angry but that's a lot of what he knows, he's so so so much more than just someone that's just mad all the time despite the fact that that's what he gets boiled down to a lot. In the fandom and in the book, honestly I think that's why he's so close to Soda.
Soda's good at seeing past that sort of thing, he's good and understanding and when your whole life everyone just dismissed you as the kid that was always mad for no reason that's so fucking refreshing. Being seen as more than just your flaws helps you feel human. Helps you remember you deserve just as much care and affection as anyone else, and seeing how the Curtis's treated their kids was honestly probably where a lot of the resentment for his dad started building up.
Anyways this is super long but basically Steve's super complex and I love him.
#the outsiders#the outsiders 1983#steve randle#I want more ppl to stop boiling down characters to their very very very base#also I love Steve a bunch and think he deserves more love#he cares so much about his friends and has so much more to him than most ppl see#he's my baby#I mean all of them are but yknow#he's been on my mind a bunch#sorry this post isn't that coherent#I was just rambling cuz why not#and sorry if it doesnât make a lot of sense
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Fluffy holiday headcanons? Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, any holiday youâd like â¤ď¸đď¸
Oh I got you! Iâll do as many holidays as I can think of (including birthdays-this is gonna be an uber long post but iâll organize it by months
January
Darryâs birthday
Those two will wake Darry up by jumping on his bed because there just SO damn excited (they used to do this as kids more so than now because they realize Darry needs to sleep-
They convinced Dally and Two Bit to dig up info on Darryâs boss so they could blackmail him into giving Darry the day off with pay đ
They purposefully turn his alarm off in the middle of the night and then he freaks out because he overslept and Pony/Soda has to calm him down by telling him what they did (he was a mix of concerned, a bit angry and lowkey impressed
They donât let Darry do anything on his birthday like the will straight up shove him into his chair and push a newspaper at him while they do all the chores that day
They deep cleaned the house while he was sleeping (they even snuck into his room and dusted everything and polished all his trophies (They were so super careful with those)
Speaking of trophies, side headcanon that Darry pawned away his football trophies and uniform to make more money because money was uber tight around this time and Soda/Pony made Dally break in and get (steal) them back (Dally went to jail and he was very mad)
Darry bawled and didnât even care at that point he was so grateful
Soda and Pony have to buy a cake because they almost burned the house down trying to make one (Soda got distracted and left the cake in the oven for so long it caught fire and Pony forgot about it-
They donât let Darry leave the house tho (they also donât tell him Soda got a speeding ticket)
They literally tried to make like a five course meal but at that point they just ended up making a bunch of random appetizers and some tacos or something-Darry didnât care tho he was honored
Pony in the future takes up two jobs (he waits tables with Johnny and works at the library) and him and Soda save up to buy him whatever they can that they think heâd like
Its mostly a bunch of stuff from his favorite football team and they buy him new work boots
They also bought him a chinchilla once (Darry loves chinchillas tell me otherwise) and Darry was just so happy
They insist on cuddling with him that night and at that point he feels so spoiled but he canât even say no đ
They all end up snuggled in his bed with Darry in the middle-heâs genuinely so happy and itâs one of the only days he looks forward to
February
Valentineâs Day
Valentineâs day is not just for romance! Itâs about spreading love to everyone you love including friends and family
The three Curtises definitely leave little things in each others rooms like theyâll scatter those chocolate hearts in each others rooms-Pony does it when Darry and Soda are at work, Soda does it at night when Darry and Pony are sleeping and Darry does it right before he leaves in the morning for work
They all end up buying one gift for each other-itâs never really a âbigâ gift but itâs something to show they love each other
Soda and Darry both get Pony books-Darry even saved up to buy Pony a little polaroid camera and Ponyâs side of the room is littered with pictures of him and Johnny and him with the gang and just sunset pictures. It makes Soda and Darry so happy to see
Pony and Darry get Soda those giant chocolate things đ They know bro is absolutely food motivated but then he ends up eating the whole thing in one sitting and getting sick-they also get him stupid little toys they find. Soda would love those stretchy guys the dentist gives you as a kid He also likes fidgeting so they get him little fidget toys (him and Steve goof off at work with them and have gotten them confiscated ���)They get him a lot of horse themed things too!
Pony and Soda get Darry little football figurines and stuff-one time they actually managed to scrape together the cash to get him tickets to go see a game-they could only buy one tho but Darry had the time of his life and actually looked his age for once when he came back.
Soda makes cringy little âroses are red violets are blue i think youâre great and I love youâ type poems and writes them on hearts and hides them around the house for his brothers
Pony writes both of his brothers a very personalized poem-itâs so complex and honestly Soda and Darry are both uber impressed with his writing skills
Darry leaves little doodles around the house of things he laments on them doing as kids-he sketches one picture before bed every night (not even just on Valentineâs Day but as a coping mechanism as well) and the whole month of February he straight up draws the most beautiful pictures of them hugging and them as kids-Soda and Pony keep them in a drawer. Darry found said drawer and almost cried because he didnât think anyone saw them or kept them
Every year they do a little tribute to their parents because they loved them-theyâll put a heart shaped piece of paper on their bed and a few roses and daffodils in their bedroom
They all eat little candy hearts in Darryâs bed before falling asleep
March
St. Patrickâs Day
Okay so this is more so when they were younger because I feel like St. Patrickâs Day is more so a holiday for kids but still-
Soda makes green pancakes. He makes a bunch of green food and even dyes their milk green (he also dyes the toilet water green)
Dont let him have any food dye
I feel like the three boys used to set up Leprechaun traps a lot and Mr/Mrs Curtis would buy those little gold chocolate coins and scatter them around to make it look like a Leprechaun was actually in the house lol-they also wrote some note like âbetter luck next year!â In shitty green marker and Pony used to get so mad-he literally guarded the traps all night because he was determined to catch one but he fell asleep and had to be carried to bed đ
Even when Darry grew out of believing in Leprechauns he never told Soda and Pony and always helped them make traps
I feel like the first one after their parents death was really sad so Darry just coerced Pony into making more Leprechauns traps (which he begrudgingly does because âIâm thirteen now I know it was just mom and dadâ but Darry spent all night doing what his parents did just to make Pony smile. He never tells Pony (Pony probably knows itâs Darry but it still made him cry)
I feel like Soda helped out but he insisted on making it âmore mischievousâ so he put green handprints and footprints on the ground and Darry FREAKED OUT when he saw đ literally took Soda outside and was like âARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUSâ (he didnât care much he just didnât want the floors and sinks to be ruined đ)
They definitely but those little chocolate coins and just spend the whole day eating them. Soda and Darry sneak some into Ponyâs lunch and Soda and Pony do the same with Darry and Pony and Darry do the same with Soda <3
I donât have much since St. Patrickâs day isnât very likeâŚ.popular? But I feel like Soda would wear a Leprechaun hat (he pulls it off somehow. Fuck him fr)
Darry lets Soda dye the food green but half the time it just turns the food diarrhea colored because he tried to dye meat
April
Easter
similarly to St. Patrickâs Day I feel like this is also a holiday more for kids (I mean without the religious aspect of course) but the Curtis boys (Soda mainly) LOVE dyeing and decorating eggs
Pony cannot stand the smell of vinegar tho so itâs hard for him (he uses a clothespin to keep his nose shut, dumbass) but he loves doing it too
I feel like Darry would be super simplistic. He dyes his eggs one or two colors and lets it dry before doing the most articulate sharpie art on the eggs. Like itâs this mosaic type shit in Sharpie and Pony and Soda are so impressed
Sodaâs are always like-every color they can be and then some because he uses colorful markers on them. If a rainbow threw up on an egg thatâs what Sodaâs would look like. He also loves putting googly eyes on them and he even makes little paper hats for his and uses pipe cleaners to make arms and legs đ
Ponyâs actually look so beautiful. He loves the warm colors and likes to make his look like scenery. Like heâll dye his eggs sunset colors and then use markers to paint mountains and trees and whatever else. Darry and Pony are super artistic-Soda just likes making his look like what he enjoys and his brothers have no problem with it
They line the eggs up around the house so that it feels more holiday like
All three Curtis brothers are suckers for candy and chocolate (obviously) so they spend their grocery budget that week on chocolate bunnies and peeps (Soda is the only one who likes them but they buy them for him)
Pony and Soda have both given themselves stomachaches and Darry has to take care of them đ
I feel like the Curtis parents used to buy like fake bunny feet prints and would put them around the house when they were kids
They definitely have Easter egg hunts. They do these with the whole gang (Dally never finds any, he just sneaks behind people and takes theirs from their baskets)
Theres never a prize or anything because Darryâs the one who hides them so he doesnât really participate but they combine all the candy from the eggs and they just sit on the floor and devour the candy
Darry buys a ham. All three Curtises LOVE ham but they never really have enough money to buy one often so you better believe these three boys are eating the whole entire thing and not leaving leftovers
Darry makes mac and cheese too (someone said he was a mac and cheese guy. I love that) and itâs a fun night for all of them
Theyre all like way too full in the end but nobody really minds much. They enjoy nights where they can pig out a bit lol
July
July 4th
ohhhhh boy
These boys LOVE July 4th (Especially Soda)
The whole gang goes down to a lake for the day to just chill out for a bit
Darry brings hot dogs and hamburgers and the gang fucks with them so hard, they all love barbecue
They also love Sparklers (especially Pony because Ponyboy is a wee bit of a pyromaniac
Soda always gets scared by them when they light up because it takes a minute and he always throws it right over Darryâs head. He almost made him catch fire like more than once
âSorry Dar I got scared đ¨â âItâs fineâ he says while patting the small fire out of his hair
Pony likes writing on trees with the burnt ends of the sparkler. He thinks it makes him tuff (loser)
I feel like they either bring down hot dogs and hamburgers or they just buy like five pounds of steak
Likley the latter because they are pure carnivores
Dally buys illegal fireworks but Darry actually does have a license so he shoots them off by the lake (they all go diving for the pieces of the fireworks after-they make it a game)
I feel like Soda would buy those obnoxious Uncle Sam hats but Iâm not sure if heâd pull that one off (sorry Soda)
They spend most of the day in the lake-all three brothers love swimming. Soda loves doing those weird dolphin dives into the water but whenever he comes up from the water heâs likeâŚglistening. Darry likes anything that can show off his strength so he loves to swim. Pony gets tired kinda easily in the water because he goes HARD in the water and then like fifteem minutes later heâs clinging to Darryâs back
Swimming definitely makes them all hungry as fuck too so they end up somehow devouring all five pounds of steak
Soda goes into the water again but ends up crawling back because he got cramps
The lake is also right by the west side so they like to just sit back with each other and watch the fireworks from the lake
They throw the scraps back on the west side tho because they hate that they just leave their litter there
One of them definitely gets bit by like a snapping turtle or something
I feel like 4th of July isnât really a holiday to them, more so a day they can go to the lake and pig out on steaks lol
Ponyâs birthday
I feel like Pony doesnât really like his birthday because his fourteenth and fifteenth birthdays must have been super hard for him (plus itâs around the time the book events happen and it just makes him depressed)
But Darry and Soda do anything they can to make him happy-Darry skips work for the day and Soda does too
Darry lets him sleep in (usually he has Pint wake up at 8 or 9 on weekends so heâs on some sort of sleep schedule but heâll cut him slack on his birthday)
I feel like the two of them stay up super late decorating the house for him too-they tie balloons to his seat and they have little homemade banners (they do this for all the Curtises birthdays) and Pony gets so surprised every time because he thinks heâs too old for it-
Soda even made cupcakes (i headcanon Soda as a good baker-I know in the book Pony said he liked Darryâs cakes better because Soda puts too much sugar in the icing but I feel like thatâs just because Soda likes it super sweet) but he knows Pony doesnât like it too sweet so heâs careful with how much sugar he puts in
Darry brings Pony a cupcake when he wakes up (after Soda starts calling for Darry like âcan you get him a cupcake I donât wanna get up :(â but they both sit with him as he sleepily eats the cupcake and is like âthanks guysâ while snuggling into them as a thank you đ they better not say anything tho because if they do he stops immediately and is like âI ainât a baby quit babying me iâm fifteen now not four đĄđĄâ
They seriously just let him do what he wants all day-if he wants to read with them they do that. If he wants to show them a movie or go to the drive in, they do that (and if he wants to bring Johnny or Two Bit they pick them up if theyâre up for going. If he wants to just lay down for a bit theyâre snuggling him together
Darry definitely brings them all to Dairy Queen for lunch and spoils the hell out of Pony-he gets him one of those ice cream things (Blizzards? Is that what theyâre called?) and makes sure he gets the biggest one there and he lets Pony get jowever much food he wants-Pony has eyes bigger than his stomach tho and ends up needing to lay down for a bit lmao
But in the end they take him to the pool at the Y to help work his appetite back because Darry always makes Ponyâs favorite meal for dinner (he had a feeling Ponybwould end up feeling like shit so they take him out early in the morning so he has time to digest it all lmao) but anyway, he loves swimming SO much and gets so excited whenever they go to the pool
He likes laying on his back and just floating for a bit until he bumps into Darry who just stares down at him and laughs-Soda also pushes on his stomach/chest and shoves him under and Ponyâs just like âhey đĄđĄâ he doesnât actually care though he just jumps on Sodaâs back and they start wrestling while Darry just watches
Theyâre there for basically the whole day and theyâre all hungry in the end so while Pony and Soda are washing off Darry is making steaks for Ponyâs birthday (Pony LOVES barbecue)
After dinner they let him open his gifts and heâs so grateful for all of them-he actually gets really nice gifts-he got a bunch of camera film for his polaroid (polaroids were invented in 1948 so iâm safe), they get him a bunch of books from his favorite authors (which Pony stays up all night reading) and they get him some art supplies because itâs a healthy way he copes with his trauma and theyâre more than happy to support him!
They then go in Darryâs pickup truck and Dary lets Soda/Pong sit in the back (like in th cart the truck drags along) and he just goes for a long drive while the sun sets and Ponybid SO happy-he gets happier when Darry tells him he looks tuff with his wind blown hair too
They end the night with chocolate cake with sprinkles inside and by cuddling, Pony in the middle and Soda/Darry just holding him đ
October
Sodaâs birthday
Soda LOVES his birthday because he loves the attention đ Heâs so happy when he realizes the day is all about him-
Pony and Darry go CRAZY decorating because Soda literally walks downstairs and acts like heâs witnessing the greatest thing ever-he looks like a kid in a candy shop and he literally puts his brothers in a BONE crushing hug and he flat out starts crying đđ
Steve takes Sodaâs shift for him because heâs nice like that on occasion (but Soda you owe me in April when itâs my birthday đĄđĄâ) so Soda can just stay home all day
Darry stays home from work too and depending on what Pony is doing in school heâll let him kiss the day if he doesnât have tests or anything (Pony lies a lot unless itâs a class he doesnât wanna make the test up for)
Soda is just so happy and he makes Pony cuddle him for a few extra moments and Pony doesnât mind until heâs like âSoda I need to peeâ âJust go here I donât wanna let go :(â âNOâ
Pony goes back because Soda starts fake crying lmao
They get him out of bed and they prepare themselves to match Sodaâs energy for the day because he just really loves that his birthday is in fall and he loves doing all the fall things on his birthday (apple/pumpkin picking, playing around in the leaves, that sort of thing
Soda loves apple picking evacuee he can climb up the trees and just get the apples from the top-plus theyâre his favorite fruit but Darry has to keep being like âSoda save room for dinnerâ but Soda doesnât care lol
He loves going on hay rides at the pumpkin patches, he doesnât care heâs turning 17 or 18, heâll be giggling like a kid and like âLOOK AT THE HORSES!â (the horses wee pulling the hay barrel)
They take him to the petting zoo too but it backfires when he got emotionally attached to one of the lambs :(
They let him stay however long he wants and heâs just so happy because one of the lambs curled on his lap and fell asleep and he was just like âđŽđĽšâ like bro was so close to crying-
He got a bit distracted by the horses too and Darry bought food for him to feed them-Soda has a way with animals and probably accidentally made several kids cry because they wouldnât leave Soda alone and kept ignoring the kids/Darry didnât have the heart to pull him away tho
When they get home Darry makes beef stew because Soda LOVES beef stew-Soda loves hearty fall foods.
Heâs learned to make two pots because Soda straight up will eat all of it and leave nothing for anyone else lol
After they eat they give Soda gifts-he insists he doesnât want anything but he also doesnât protest being spoiled a bit lol
They get him a bunch of things he can build-heâs super good at what he does with cars and he really loves building things and taking things apart, so they get him likeâŚ3d puzzles and figurines he can build and he absolutely loves it and is so so happy <3
They know Soda loves his snuggles so Ponyboy will lay on top of him and Darry just envelopes him in this tight bone crushing hug-many happy tears are shed
Halloween
The Curtises honestly donât do much for Halloween (except Soda, Soda LOVES Halloween and dressing up
Him and Steve dress up to go to work-Soda usually goes fully dressed as a zombie and Steve a werewolf (he even has a mask and a tail)-Sodaâs able to charm his bosses into not being mad though and they actually manage to pull it off and they have good sales because people think itâs funny
I feel like Pony and Darry arenât as into it-Pony doesnât go trick or treating because âitâs for kidsâ so he usually hangs out with Dally and Johnny for the night and dresses like Paul Newman (of course he does-he actually pulls it off tho) Johnny probably just wears all black and Dally buys a scream mask and waits in bushes for kids to come out and they just steal the kids candy after they drop it because Dally is a dick and scares them đ
Darry hands out candy and actually kinda gets into it because heâs super good with kids-he puts on a flannel and is just like âfine Iâm Paul Bunyanâ-he loves handing out candy tho and heâll be super swwwgblike âoh wow thatâs a scary ghost costume, you almost scared the life outta me!â like he just plays into it and he really does enjoy
Steve, Soda and Two Bit go trick or treating and of course Soda has his natural charm and girls bring him candy at work that day lol-Darry deals with similar stuff but he roofs this super sweet old ladyâs home and sheâs like âoh we donât get kids oftenâŚdo you want some candy young man?â and heâs likeâŚtrying to refuse but she keeps insisting and he eventually gives in đ
So that night Darry comes home from work with a bag of candy and the leftover candy from handing it out, Pony comes beck with candy Dally gave him after he jumped kids for it and Soda brings back the mother load of candy
The three of them just eat candy together and watch scary movies (not really scary-think like Lifetime horror movies)
Pony likes chocolates, Sosa loves sour stuff and Darey enjoys just about anything, but heâs a sucker for chocolates with stuff inside (like Reeseâs cups/Milky Ways)
One of them (all three of them) end up with stomachaches but itâs all good and they have a good night
November
Thanksgiving
The whole gang LOVES Thanksgiving
They used to do things before the holiday-every day in November they have the whole gang write something theyâre thankful for and they put it in a jar to read at the table
Pony makes it heartfelt like âIâm grateful for my brothers and all they do for meâ-Darry is the same way but after the book he gets really specific like âIâm thankful that Ponyboy is here with me and supports me after workâ âIâm thankful for Sodapop and his endless snuggles even if it seems like I donât want itâ-Soda is kinda hit or miss, sometimes heâll put something in but sometimes itâll be like âIâm thankful for cheese puffsâ and theyâre like âSoda really đâ
Everyone thinks Darry would cook everything by himself but I think that only happens after Pony insists on making the turkey and Darryâs like âOkay but you have to gut itâ and Ponyâs like âfineâ but he takes one look inside and throws up and Soda kept sneaking food and then got sick because he ate raw turkey
Soda got banned and Pony refused to go back in
They all make the stuffing together tho and it turns into a bit of a food fight lol-theyâre all laughing and having fun
They invite the gang over and Dally gets so mad that Darry makes them do the whole âwhat are you thankful forâ ritual and eventually just literally reaches over the table and grabs a drumstick and eats it and Darryâs so done
They have to kinda coax Johnny into eating sometimes because he doesnât wanna be seen as greedy but a few bites later and itâs so good he canât resist anymore and just devours half a turkey by himself
Pony stocks up on rolls and mashed potatoes-he loves turkey too but he will eat an entire pound of mashed potatoes by himself and he has
Theyâre all lowkey gross at the table like Dally literally just burps so fucking loud because he has to announce to everyone that heâs finished and Darry is just so done with him lmao
In the end they all just drag themselves to the couch-thereâs literally no leftovers either thatâs how much they eat. Theyâre seven teenage boys lol
Darry likes watching football but even then heâs so sluggish and full he canât even focus on it lol
They all have a gigantic cuddle pile and theyâre all whining about how full they are, itâs so sad
Johnny is not used to being full at all and heâs so embarrassed because he ate SO much and everyone is teasing him and Pony specifically because theyâre so small but they packed away the most and Johnny ends up with super bad hiccups and that just leads to more teasing and heâs just like âshut up guysâ
Theyre gross so they probably end up having annual burping contests. Johnny is of course undefeated and Dally storms off to god knows where after
When everyone leaves the Curtises are so full they canât even go upstairs so they just lay on the couch and itâs so bad that it takes the next day to fully digest it all too đ
This is probably their favorite or second favorite holiday.
December
Christmas
Their favorite holiday is Christmas honestly
They absolutely LOVE the preparation beforehand of baking Christmas cookies and putting up a little tree with decorations
They canât really buy a tree but they have this fake tree that they have put up every year since Darry was a baby-itâs still somehow in tact
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis didnât have a lot of money so they made a star out of cinnamon sticks that they used instead
The Curtises cherish that star and put two angels right next to it too to symbolize they havenât forgotten their parents or their traditions
Additionally I feel like Mr. Curtis was the one who made the cookies with the boys while Mrs. Curtis would decorate
As kids they would take turns making a cookie, like Darry would help make oatmeal raisin or something, Soda would make snickerdoodles and Pony would make sugar cookies, they would just alternate like that
But now that their parent are dead they all just do it together
Soda gets banned because he keeps stealing dough (Theyâre all guilty of this tho, even Darry)
They all end up eating too much and Pony and Soda are SO whiny- âDarryyyyy why did you let us eat that much..?â âYouâre the one who kept sneaking it!â
They actually end up pretty good in the end and give them out to the gang
Darryâs an oatmeal raisin kind of guy-Soda likes snickerdoodles, Pony likes sugar cookies, Johnny likes chocolate chip, Dally likes those cookies with jelly in the middle, Teo Bit is the kind of menace to love those frosted ones and Steve likes those half chocolate half vanilla ones with the hershey kiss in the middle so they make a lot of those and the whole gang is there on Christmas day just eating the cookies and watching shitty movies đ
Christmas Eve the Curtises donât really like meeting up with the gang because they feel itâs a day for them and them alone-itâs the only day Darry actually makes them go to church and Soda HATES it-he just cannot sit still that long, and he gets bored during prayer sermons-Darry actually enjoys going but he usually doesnât like-seek out going and Pony finds it serene and it gives him closure honestly
They also do that thing where they open one gift the night before-I feel like the year their parents died and money was super tight it ended up being like the Gift of the Magi-they all bought each other something but Darry sold his football uniform to get Soda and Pony something, Pony sold an exclusive book collection his parents bought him and Soda sold the horse saddle he used to ride Mickey Mouse-Darry bought Pony a little bookshelf, Soda bought Pony some pretty fancy figurines of the book characters, Darry bought Soda a mantle to put the saddle on and Pony bought him a horse statue to build and put the saddle on, Pony bought Darry some cleats and Soda bought him a helmet embroidered with his fatherâs words to him and all three of them sold their most valuable things to buy those for each other and they just cry for a bit
On a lighter note they all but each other joke gifts-at Ponyâs school they have a sale where they just sell old junk nobody wants and Pony gathers the most random shit. Darry has a tiki statue in his room and Soda got a lamp with a mysterious brown stain on it (based off actual events)
They have turkey and ham because the gang comes over on Christmas and all of them are actually like-very food invested lmao
athey all cuddle by the fireplace and pass around secret santa gifts (they do Secret Santa Im calling it)
New Yearâs Eve
They have their own little traditions! Darry makes appetizers (like jalapeĂąo poppers and nachos) and they make 24, every hour they eat one together as a way to count down
I feel like they donât do much during the day besides just go about their normal activities. Darry and Soda both get off early (Pong brings them bits of appetizers each hour to keep the tradition going because they did this with the Curtis parents and little bro hates change-
Darry and Soda get off at likeâŚ2 or 3 and thatâs when things get fun
Theybhave game nights! Game nights usually donât end well and this is no exception-
Teh first game they try to play is monopoly but Soda gets impulsive and that makes it easy to swindle him out of stuff so heâs the first one to go bankrupt and lose-itâs Pony and Darry that butt heads lmao
Darry is really good at swindling Ponyboy out of money and whatnot and Pony gets SO pissed- âDarry I want a refund đĄâ like I know someone (Pony) walks away crying-
Pony has learned Darryâs tactics over the year and is VERY good at lying so he manages to swindle Darry this time and Darry is actually proud until he realizes he lost and then he flips the board lmao
They have other games they love to play too-they play cards as well but Soda is banned from playing War because he always peeks at his cards
Theh stop playing games after a while to watch the ball drop
They do a little reflection thing yearly-like âmy name is ____ Iâm ____ years old, Iâm in the _____ grade, my favorite color is ____ my favorite food is _____ my favorite toy/game is _____ my favorite color is _____â-Mrs. Curtis made them do this but they agreed to keep the tradition going evacsue they thought it was cool to look back at their younger selves and see how theyâve changed
They read out past ones to each other and they get to the ones like âMy favorite memory is _____, the funniest thing thatâs happened this year was _____, I love _____ about my brothersâ and the three of them are HOWLING because reading back on them they just love remembering and such-itâs bittersweet.
New Yearâs eve is the one night Soda can stay up later than like-9:30 (Bro has a bed time-itâs not Darry that gave it to him, Soda just appointed himself a bed time and if he isnât in bed by then he becomes a bitch) but New Years Eve is the one time a year heâs okay with staying up
Darry lets Pony and Soda have a champagne glass too and they all hug when the ball drops and then they just pas sour on the couch lol
Hope these are good!! I did a lot-
#the outsiders#ponyboy curtis#sodapop curtis#darry curtis#darrel curtis#johnny cade#dally winston#dallas winston#two bit mathews#steve randle#the outsiders headcanons
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morales twins hcs
i'm absolutely in love with the idea of miles42 and miles1610 being twins, i'm so glad most of the fandom has basically adopted 42 lmao
some of my own twins headcanons, just random stuff to add onto other ppls hcs ive seen:
â 42 loves his mamĂ absolutely but def acts the most like his dad, and haaaates when anyone points it out. it's the most obvious when 42 gets mad, he sounds EXACTLY like his father then lol
â in fact, the twins polar opposite personalities is probs bc 1610 takes after his mom's temperament more, while 42 is as stoic, stubborn and slightly dorky as his dad is
â whenever the boys made each other cry (by accident or otherwise) they did the typical little kid thing and tried immediately comforting the other. now that they're older 1610 handles his emotions better and is mature when talking about them, but 42 is the one who comforts 1610 more often
more below â
â as well as staying on top of his academics, 42 also plays basketball and trains in a couple martial arts studios after school. 1610 is taller than 42 bc of the spider bite but 42 has always been slightly bigger and more muscular than 1610 since he's the athlete. whenever the family attends 42's boxing matches, jeff gets an overwhelming sense of deja vu from back when he attended his own brother's matches before
â they both got thru school p okay, not many incidents of bullying mostly bc if anyone did try, 42 would put a stop to that nonsense immediately. 42 loves his bro with his whole heart and was glad to pick a fight with anyone who gave him any trouble at all. the whole neighborhood knew it too bc the only person allowed to bully 1610 is 42 himself!
â in fact, 42 doesn't win the lottery to enter visions in the first place, which saddened both brothers when they found out. so because they're at separate schools now, 42 makes sure his twin knows that if any fuckery is afoot at visions that he'd be more than happy to roll up and dogwalk any fool who tries it. 1610 laughs him off but knows his bro has got his back for sure
â 42 likes to pretend 1610 is the nerdy one, but they are both very big anime and manga nerds. every time they hit up any bookstore, they both make a beeline for the manga section and argue over who's gonna read the newest one first (they have to share cuz those books cost some moneeyyyy, man)
â 1610 and 42 love their uncle to pieces, OFC. they both pick up separate traits from him, even. 42 was inspired to start martial arts and boxing from watching videos on old digital cameras that aaron hung onto thru the years. they were of a much younger aaron back in his boxing days, when his family went to his matches and recorded them from the seats. 1610 was inspired to pick up graffiti and then even started doodling in notebooks bc of aaron
â 1610 is def the social butterfly and easily the most popular kid on the block by virtue of how friendly and outgoing he is. 42 is more introverted and keeps a small circle of friends, but everyone is cool with him nonetheless since they fuck with his twin bro
â since 42 stays at home the most (lol he a homebody) he picks up cooking much better than 1610 thanks to him staying in the kitchen to help his mom make dinner while they watch telenovelas together. 42 also knows how to dance bachata and salsa much better than 1610 too
â both twins love physics and math but 42 is more hardware-inclined. 1610 is about software, data, and formulas. 42 is good at taking things apart, putting things together, building and engineering. he kinda takes after his uncle aaron that way, and drove his parents nuts as a lil kid when he got his hands on radios, computers, clocks, etc
â 1610 loves softer brighter music like JID, steve lacy, smino, frank ocean, kid cudi, post malone, and nujabes. 42 is always bumping harder shit like pop smoke, waka flocka, zillakami, three 6 mafia, benny the butcher and some oldies like paul wall, wu tang clan, biggie smalls, MF DOOM and big KRIT. they tease each other's music tastes a lot since they're polar opposites in almost every way
â they actually have a shared playlist where they add new music they like (probs on some e-1610 spotify or soundcloud equivalent since everything is slightly skewed on e-1610 tbh). both of them check it periodically, and 42 is the more frequent contributor
â they both make art but 1610 is the artsier kid for sure. 42 doodles occasionally but he's not as enthusiastic about it as his twin is. they both go around the city tagging walls whenever they have any free time, though. 1610 loves colors, expressive styles and is good at coming up with cool ways to draw text. 42's lines, accuracy and technical skill can never be beat
â 1610 has superpowers, sure, but his fighting skills are trash! 42 was always the scrappy one, not 1610, so he shows his twin how to properly throw punches and other useful fighting knowledge. it def comes in handy in the future
â jeff loves his sons to death but he often finds himself butting heads the most with 42 since they're so similar, it kinda drives them both nuts. it def gets worse once aaron starts gossiping abt what jeff used to be like when they were kids, giving 42 plenty of ammo. they love each other but their relationship is just as complicated as it is between jeff and 1610, and 42 would be lying if he said he wasn't affected by the rift between his dad and uncle himself
â the minute the twins turn 16, 42 goes out and gets his drivers license on the first try (computer quiz AND road test aced) and rubs it in 1610's face almost constantly. 1610 likes to throw back that there's no parking space for another car on their block, so he can't even get his own car even if he wanted to anyways
â whenever the boys really fight, the whole city seems to know. they squabble a lot obvi, they're brothers. but the very few times they've given each other the silent treatment like for real, everyone in the family tries to get them to make up since it's unsettling to see two peas in a pod be so hostile with each other
â and since they've always been attached at the hip, 1610 being enrolled into visions felt. weird. everyone thought 1610 was gonna take it the hardest but surprisingly 42 had a harder time adjusting since he always saw his bro in the hallways at school, and was so used to him knowing the latest gossip of anybody in their grade. without 1610 around as often, 42 becomes even more withdrawn than usual
rio looks up from the pot suddenly, glancing at the time. dinner was almost ready and she⌠hadn't seen not hide nor tail of her son this evening. he returned home from school a couple hours earlier, choosing to skip going to his boxing class to shut himself in his room.
fine. teenagers can be moody sometimes and rio would rather keep her moody son at home where she can keep an eye on him, rather than worry about what he's getting up to on the streets.
strange thing is, though... rio hadn't heard a single noise come out of that room all night. 42 usually liked to have at least some music playing, maybe video game noises out of his nintendo... oh, what was it called again? whatever, that nintendo thing he played on sometimes.
rio placed the lid on the pot and lowered the flame a bit before making her way over to her twin sons' bedroom door, hesitating a bit when she noticed no light was filtering out from the bottom either. okay... that was weird, too. neither of her sons ever went to bed before dinner. ever.
the one time rio dared to try and send her sons to bed without dinner years ago-- as punishment for fighting right there in the kitchen that time-- both twins hollered so loud they got concerned knocks on their front door from various different neighbors. never again, rio remembered thinking that time.
now, the bedroom door stands oddly quiet and completely hollow without any signs of life behind it. rio knocked anyways, hoping against hope itself that 42 didn't go ahead and sneak out of the house without her knowledge. if he did sneak out, he's grounded for 3 months, rio thinks to herself mostly as reassurance. she nervously picks at a nail and strains to hear anything behind the wood.
she thinks she hears a groan and decides to try her luck by slowly opening the door. hopefully he's not in there... y'know, doing teenage boy things, either. dios mĂo.
rio swings the door open to...
...a completely pitch-black room, save for the sliver of streetlight filtering in past a crack in the window curtains and casting an eerie yellow glow on anything it could touch. it is cold, and also deathly quiet.
rio is shocked.
she walks over to the right side of the room where 42's bed is pushed up against the corner, next to the windows. on that bed lies a big lump, buried under several layers of blankets. the lump stirs.
rio crosses her arms. "mijo, mi amor. are you sleeping? âŚpero quĂŠ te pasa, papĂ?"š
42 rolls onto his back and glares sleepily at his concerned mother standing at his bedside. it's dark in the room, but rio's face is illuminated by the living room lights pouring in from the open door. she's wearing a tilted smile, but coupled with the worry lines on her forehead, it isn't fooling anyone.
42 slowly closes his eyes, chin still under the covers, and lets out the most world-weary sigh rio has ever heard coming out of someone as young as him. if it weren't coming from her own son, she might have even laughed.
she immediately sits down, lifting the cover off of 42's chin to check his temperature all over his face. he tries to wriggle away.
"maaaaaa, stop..." he grumbles, trying to pull the covers up higher over his head. "'m not sick, mamĂ, forreal⌠chill."
rio leans on a hand. "¿si no 'ta enfermó pues quÊ es?² what's wrong?"
42 doesn't answer for a bit and rio exhales through her nose. " 'morĂŠ, what are you doing in this pitch-black room all by yourself? no light, no music, no nothing. what's wrong? you look like you're on a death bed!"
42 finally opens his eyes again, and blinks a few times as he says, "nothing, ma. seriously, i'm just... tired. that's all. i'm fine."
"you don't look 'fine' 42, you look like 2 seconds away from flatlining."
another sigh from the boy. rio rolls her eyes and places her hand on his forehead again, then strokes his cheek.
"is it 1610? hmm?" rio asks 42. she asks so unbelievably gently, as if by only mentioning his brother's name she would shatter something in the room. a mirror or something.
42's heart clenches at the love and care his mother is showing around this particular topic. it was true, and he couldn't even deny it. having 1610 in the house less and less every week, not seeing him in the hallways at their local high school, receiving sparser and shorter replies to his texts... it was all building up in his chest and the dam was pretty close to bursting. especially now as his mom was lovingly stroking his cheek as she checked in with him. how embarassing. rio wouldn't see him cry, not right now. he closed his eyes and willed the tears away, for her sake.
miraculously, 42's voice didn't crack or waver when he said, "yeah. yeah, i miss 'im."
rio crooned something saccharine in spanish and placed a kiss on her son's forehead. she saw right through his cold tough guy act, as expected. with how much of a mama's boy 42 was, it would've been impossible not to. they spent way too much time together for her to miss how he dragged his feet getting ready for school in the mornings, how he's been skipping martial arts and basketball practice more often lately, and how unenthusiastic he's been in general.
rio chuckles as she lays her cheek on 42's forehead for a second before sitting back up. "ay, bendito. 42, you know your brother is just down a few blocks from here. why don't you go visit him soon?"
42 shuffles under the covers. he's unsure if he should even admit this, but he proceeds anyways. "uhm. he's not answering my texts lately, so." he feels strangely guilty about this, like he just snitched on his twin somehow even though he has no reason to suspect that at all.
rio sighs and looks off into the distance, bracing herself for what she's about to say. she looks back down. "yeah. i know. he doesn't answer mine, either. i was hoping he was talking to you, but... well. "
something in 42 stirs a bit. "i bet he thinks he's in some fancy private school, around rich kids, now he's too good for us," it's a weak attempt at a joke, but rio smiles down at him anyways.
"don't worry. the second he gets home this weekend, he's on house arrest. okay? he's gonna be chained to you the whoooole time. and i'm keepin' watch."
it's not much, but 42 still takes that little bit of hope and holds it gently in his mind.
"the second he walks through that door, i'm tackling him. i don't care." 42 smiles at the thought.
rio laughs, kisses his forehead again and stands up. "dinner is almost ready, by the way." she gives him a look. "you better eat with me tonight, because your brother is at school and your dad is doing overtime tonight. okay? okay."
42 sighs deeply to wake himself up a bit more as he sits up and scratches at his durag. "yeah, yeah. 'm comin', ma!"
š "but what is going on with you, pap�" (papà being a common term of affection for a boy in spanish, it doesn't always mean "dad" lol)
² "if you're not sick, then what is it?"
â until they get "too old" for halloween, the morales twins ALWAYS wear matching costumes. every year. every single year, no matter what. what they usually end up wearing changes every year and they aaaaaalways argue over it, of course. notable costumes so far: batman and superman (age 13), two ninja turtles (age 9) (im thinking mikey and donatello bc of personality but lbr rio most likely forbade either of them to be leonardo bc the twins would deadass get into a fist fight over it), tom and jerry (age 2), mario and luigi (age 7), woody and buzz (age 5), peter pan and captain hook (age 10), and-- rio's favorite-- thing 1 and thing 2 (age 4)
â 42 was surprisingly always very popular with the girls at school. in middle school, 1610 was the geeky one with braces and acne. 42 got off relatively easy in that regard and as a result was labeled "a heartbreaker" from the jump, which annoyed him. he has no interest in dating whatsoever and swore to never get into a relationship before graduating high school. he's got his mom and brother to take care of and he's going places after high school, damnit! 1610 on the other hand is a huge romantic and has a crush on a new person almost every year of school, easily
â the literal second 1610 set foot in the house after his spider bite, 42 was all over him asking a million questions since they both have that supernatural twintuition, and 42 sussed him out immediately. 1610 obviously had to come clean and tell his brother he was spiderman just like he told ganke, otherwise he was never gonna be able to change into his spider suit at home (plus they share a room, so. there's that)
1610 didn't even get to close their bedroom door all the way before his twin leaped up from his own bed and stalked over.
"Ăłye, bro. what's up? what happened at visions?" 42 circled his brother, squinty-eyed in the exact same way their mom is when she's suspicious. 1610 dropped his bag next to his bed and plopped down on his sheets, trying to put some distance between them.
"uhhhh what're you talkin' about?" he tries casually, and immediately regrets it.
"uhhhhh what're you talkin' about?" 42 mocks. "don't play dumb with me. you KNOW what i'm talkin' about, stupid. first, you answer, like, none of my texts ever. then dad comes home sayin' you never let him talk face-to-face when he visited you a couple days ago. mamĂ has been texting and calling you nonstop, no answer either. you are a brand new person now, huh? quĂŠ te pasa, yo?"
1610 hunched his shoulders as he got up and slumped over to his desk. he was quietly weighing his options, nervously rearranging papers and sketches on the wooden table, wondering how he was going to break it to his brother that he was--
"lemme guess. you have superpowers now," 42 says easily. he crosses his arms triumphantly when big round amber eyes suddenly turn up to his face.
1610 searches his face for any hint of a joke. no... no way. did his brother just...?
"you're playin' with me. no way. how did you--?"
42's eyes widen. "wait, are you being deadass right now?" he threw his head back and crowed with laughter. "that was just a guess!"
1610 leaped forward and pushed his hand onto 42's mouth, shutting him up. "heeyyy hey hey hey hey shhhhh, man. damn, could you possibly be any louder? look," he took his twin by the shoulders and gave him a slight shake, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "mom and dad can never know anything about this. okay? anything. not a word, you understand?"
42 pushes his brother off. "ok-ay man, cool it. i promise. we can shake on it, even."
wordlessly, they did their super secret handshake they came up with and perfected in the 4th grade in lieu of hooking their pinkies together. it was the morales shake, a move that binds them to secrecy and keeping promises til death. this was serious business. 1610 relaxes a bit once they're done.
"... okay. and i mean it, pencil braids. if you even breathe a word about this, or even think about--!"
"if you don't just tell me already, goddamn."
with a meaningful look thrown at his brother's way, 1610 raises an arm silently. 42 looks back expectantly.
1610 shoots a web up. he jumps up, using the web as a bungee rope to help him flip and land feet-first onto the ceiling. once his sneakers touch their ceiling, he stands up... upside-down. he stares at his brother and his brother stares back, mouth agape.
"niiiiiiice," 42 leans back and grins up at his twin brother, spiderman.
â 1610 is glad he has someone besides ganke to talk to about spiderman stuff, though. his brother listens way more attentively than his roommate anyways, and even tries to help sometimes esp when 1610 needs a quick distraction so he can switch from spiderman back into his regular clothes before the parents notice
â 42 is surprisingly cool abt his twin bro being spiderman, actually. even when they're texting 42 is careful not to imply 1610 is spiderman, and often calls stuff in to the police station if 1610 webs anyone up and lets him know. he also gets very good at bandaging up wounds quickly
â 42 is a hardass on the outside and contains his emotions much better than his twin, but he's kinda different around his family, since he loves them a lot. he jokes around a lot with them, esp around 1610. they also love pranking their parents, and are p creative at coming up with ways to make everyone laugh
â i personally picture 42's personality being sort of like huey's from the boondocks, especially around other adults. he becomes withdrawn and speaks very clearly and directly, and is very shy around strangers. some ppl mistake that as him having an attitude problem but his friends and family know better. only difference between huey and 42 is that 42 isn't nearly as woke lmfao
â meanwhile, 1610 becomes a motormouth around strangers and is quick to hug and kiss random family members at family reunions. as a lil kid, he'd always be the one up at the counter ordering for the both of them and chatting with the cashiers, or bus drivers, or whoever. as he gets older and used to the spiderman thing, he chats and jokes with randoms a lil less. he has to save the good material for when the mask is on
â 42 is a better writer than he is an artist, actually. he has notebooks filled with poetry and lyrics he scribbles down on post-it notes just to stick them in there for safekeeping. he's also been working on a sci-fi story since he was in 6th grade in absolute secrecy; he doesn't want a single soul to see it. he'd be mortified if anyone saw the nerdy shit he comes up with
â even tho 1610 has never fought anyone or been scrappy with anyone else, he's very good at wrestling and dodging punches thanks to his brother.
â 42 is the more fashion-inclined twin, even tho they're both sneakerheads. 42 just pays more attention to accessories, the fit of his clothing, how to pair the right shoes with the right jacket. 1610 throws on anything comfortable and calls it a day, and it gets even worse after he becomes spiderman. 42 clowns his brother SO HARD after he finds him wearing yellow sweatpants with an oversized red adidas hoodie and a green puffer jacket once (it was when 1610 came home from fighting a shapeshifting lizard that tried to take over cypress hills. the sweatpants were on backwards)
â 1610's sense of humor is geeky and he always tries too hard with his quips and jokes. he usually gets "secondhand embarrassment" chuckles from ppl. 42's style of comedy is a mix of dry humor and unintentionally being funny. this dude will say something clever with the straightest face ever and have the ENTIRE room in stitches without even meaning to
â just to nail home how different they are, even tho they share a room, you can tell EXACTLY which half of their room begins and ends. 1610's half is cluttered, vibrant, covered in posters and action figures, collages and trinkets on every available surface. 42's is as clean as a hospital room, and he ALWAYS makes his bed every morning. 42 has a poster or 2 hung up but he's not much for decorating in general. he's more into alphabetizing his bookshelf and looking for more efficient storage to put under his bed
â when jeff looks at his sons, he sees aaron and himself and sometimes it scares him. when the boys were around 12 (the Evil Year) he made SURE to sign them up for camp trips that summer and keep them close together as much as possible. he hates to see his boys drift apart at all and is the 1st one to call it out if he sees it. he just doesn't want his boys to end up like he and his brother didâŚ
â ⌠and then other times? it genuinely makes him feel a combination of irritation and also fondness bc sometimes 1610 and 42 really really remind him of aaron and himself, esp when they were young. ESPECIALLY when they argue. in every playful slap on the shoulder, every arbitrary competition started out of nowhere, every sleepy brother slowly sliding onto the other's shoulder during nighttime car rides, he sees it. he sees them, and then he sees his past. and with every little difference between the boys slowly cracking open like a chasm with each passing day, sometimes he thinks he can even see his future.
â 42 is cool or whatever but i also hc he's kinda⌠weird sometimes. it gets worse when his twin bro goes off to visions, he keeps staring at walls while sitting in dark rooms and eating at weird hours of the day. rio caught him fast asleep practically hanging off the window sill one night, and another time jeff found him having an entire conversation with a brick wall once while on patrol. 42 refuses to answer any questions
â after 1610 gets into visions, becomes spiderman, tells his parents abt his plans to go to princeton, etc... 42 eventually starts feeling a type of way (a jealous wayâŚ) their parents also seem to pay attention to 1610 more whenever he's home just to add insult to injury. he knows he's not supposed to, but he often finds himself thinking about the prowler gloves and schematics aaron left behind. he managed to grab them and hide them in a gym bag one day while helping his parents clear out aaron's apartment. the tech currently lives under his bedâŚ
#across the spiderverse#spiderverse#miles morales#miles g morales#BOY that sure is a lot to read huh. well. if u read all this here's a heart âĄ#can u tell i am Not Normal abt these two#esp wrt them being potential parallels to their father and uncle.........#i can scream FOREVER abt this#the morales family always has me All Up In My Feels man#also LOL @ me writing fanfic again in this post#what can i say...... i guess i can't help it lol#i just love these two they are my babies............#also guess how many times i went and started writing âmilesâ for 1610 before having to backspace after realizing#yea thats right. Too Many Times#anyways hopes this like uhhh reads okay. the formatting might be weird cuz i had to copy n paste this from my notes app#but i think its cool. i hope#hope yall enjoy aallll of this lol#mi writing
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Descendants two time đ
Okay so new characters!
Tim Hook, Angela Hook, and Curly Hook! Captain Hook had three annoying brats, hated them so so much, and then eventually was kicked off of his own damn boat by them. Luckily he managed to traumatize them before that so theyâre crazy lol. Timâs lost an eye, Angela lost a HAND and has a hook, and curly is just a bit crazy perhaps
Also, lady Tremaineâs grandchildren! M&M and Cathy who help run her hair salon. Theyâre both chill, but M&M is so desperate to live in auradon. He canât help but dream about it. Cathy has other things in her mind. Namely, a certain lady pirate. Angela is mean as hell but Cathy knows she can control it I guess. Thereâs someone for everyone.
So basically, everyone is kind of used to auradon at this point. Darry and Paul are slowly developing their relationship, twobit and Marcia are getting to know each other (not dating yet, they canât seem to have that conversation yet). Belle and Adam have kind of adopted pony, soda, and Darry atp because Darry is dating Paul. (And because their dad sucks)
Everyone is doing pretty well, Darry is a bit insecure in his relationship with Paul because of who his father is basically. He wonders if he is somehow not good enough for Paul. He wonders if Paul also secretly thinks this and looks down on him. This is made even worse because of the cotillion thing (Darry has never even been to a formal event before so heâs freaked)
Everyone is doing okay despite that, except for Dallas. Dally (unlike mal in the movies) doesnât care about what auradon thinks of him. What he DOES care about however, is his friends. His friends are all acclimating to Auradon and he doesnât exactly fit in with them anymore. Dally is a bit insecure in his own way, and wonders if maybe heâs stunting them somehow and preventing them from being fully happy in Auradon. Heâs dramatic and sneaks back onto the isle with his spell book.
Ofc, the second the gang realizes Dallas is GONE TO THE ISLE they freak out. Heâs their family!!! theyâre worried about him!!! So the gang plans to go after him.
Then Cherry joins in. Cherry is worried about Dallas. She barely even likes him, but she is committed to making the isle kids feel welcome in auradon. Cherry is under the impression that Dallas thinks he isnât good enough for auradon (when really he thinks he isnât good enough for his friends). She makes them take her
Meanwhile, Dallas is chilling! He stops by Tremaineâs hair salon first to try and cause problems now that heâs back on the isle. This is where he sees M&M and Cathy, Lady Tremaineâs grandchildren.
Somehow, he feels bad about stealing from them so he doesnât and instead lets them cut his hair for him. Heâs MAD about the fact that he has a conscience now.
Then Angela comes in, steals their money, and leaves (cue the gross gun scene because Angela has a hook and Cathy has gum. Toxic yuri!!)
M&M is very sad about this and dally figured he belongs in auradon more than he does.
With the rest of the gang and cherry, theyâre struggling. They find Dallas, but none of them can get him to come back to auradon! Theyâre all very sad, cherry especially because she thinks sheâs failed. They donât keep a very close eye on her and she gets snatched up by Angela and curly lmfao. Dallas is pretty annoyed at his gang because wtf did they lose ALL of their street smarts?
Now Dallas has to deal with gay ass Timothy Hook and his gang of (two) pirate siblings.
Ofc, Tim wants fairy godmothers wand and manages to beat Dallas in an arm wrestling content for it. Dallas feels very stupid.
They all go BACK to auradon, gets Steve to make a 3d printed wand, get caught by Marcia who wants to help save cherry!! They run into Paul on their way out, who is a little suspicious of all their sneaking out. Darry tells him theyâre camping and gives him a peck before running off.
Back to the isle.
Cherry is trying to convince Tim that he should let her go. Tim says he will NOT be letting her go because he wants to see Dallas squirm while he threatens his gf.
Cherry is grossed out and says that she is NOT DATING DALLAS. Tim is annoyed. Cherry came to the ISLE for Dallas surely thereâs something. Cherry fake gags.
Cherry still tries to tell tim that he and his siblings can come to auradon. Tim is getting mad now. Luckily, the gang comes to take Cherry back.
They do the wand/cherry swap and get the hell out of there after a battle between the different sides. What they donât know is that they were in too much of a rush to leave the isle, dropped Dallyâs spell book, and didnât check to make sure nobody followed them out. Dallas was so caught up in escaping with everyone else taht he forgot taht he ran away lol. When he realizes heâs back in auradon heâs embarrassed. Theyâre all so happy to have him back and safe and he almost feels bad for running away.
Theyâre back in auradon, having a blast. Darry is still incredibly nervous about cotillion, but Dallas might be even more nervous than him because Dallas isnât even close to ready. They help each other lol
Twobit and Marcia are both feeling confident because of the fight with the pirates and confess to each other. Theyâre now dating!
At cotillion, Darry waits for Paul to come so that they can dance. Paul comes WITH TIM!!!! Paul introduces Tim to everyone as his new bf. Darry..
Darry doesnât fall for that for even a second. He suddenly knows how ridiculously unrealistic this is. He KNOWS Paul is crazy for HIM AND HIM ONLY and realizes that Paul has been spelled. He stomps over, elbows Tim out if the way, kisses Paul to break whatever dumbass spell him out on him, then throws tim off of the boat.
Everyone is a little silent. They look overboard and they donât see Tim. The auradon fellas all think Darry just killed Tim, but the isle kids know that thereâs no way Tim would die that easily. Because Darry is dating Paul, he doesnât face consequences but it certainly does make people wary of him.
Theyâre all waiting for Tim to show up and kill them in their sleep or something
Anyway just wait until the sketches come đ
#the outsiders#tim shepard#curly shepard#darry curtis#dallas winston#angela shepard#ponyboy curtis#sodapop curtis#steve randle#johnny cade#two bit mathews#darry x paul#paul holden#m&m carlson#cathy carlson#descendants au#disney descendants#descendants#marbit#the outsiders marcia#marcia the outsiders#the outsiders cherry#cherry valance#sherri valance
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pt. 1: Manic pixie dream girl
(s.h. x desi!fem!reader)
warning/tags: use of (y/n), she/her pronouns used, based in 2010s, mention of cheating, bad parents, arguments, alcohol, mention of homophobia, toilet jokes (literally. i apologize), everybody is atleast a lil bicurious (except robin ofc)
a/n: and it starts!! i know i rreally kept yall waiting on this one and i probs will continue to do so (oops) im just out here trying to teach yall about delayed gratification lol soz
this fic went in crack fic territory for a bit of this chapter (yes the toilet museum is an actual place) i swear i don't know why my fics end up having potty humour sometimes I'm sorry
word count: 6.3k
series masterlist
masterlist
âŚ
[Challa]
The last time Steve Harrington went on a vacation was with his parents when he was thirteen.
When he turned fourteen, his dad told him to focus more on school and sports and stopped bringing him around.
And sure, maybe it was also because during that past vacation, Stanley Harrington was found with screwing around with his secretary by his wife. Steve didn't remember much of it; he was hiding in the other room when the shouting began. Thankfully the walls muffled most of it.
it was after that vacation, things changed, Steve finally started to see through the cracks in the image his family always put upâ the picture-perfect family. The well manufactured family photos hanging throughout his empty house tried their best to hide everything ugly. He started to see how in the photographs, his dad refused to stand closer to his mom, how his mom didnât smile.
The expression on his fatherâs face that closely resembles a scowl, as if he was forced to take a picture with a business partner and not his own wife and son. The expensive dress his mom wore along with her makeup done perfectly. The grey bags under both their eyes.
Finally, himselfâ hair shorter than it is now because his dad always told him a real man never lets it grow past his ears, all slicked down and brushed aside, his expensive suit that made him better dressed than any other thirteen year old in town and his teeth stretched in what his mom called his âmillion dollar smileâ.
It was after that vacation, that his mom stopped trusting his dad, and Steve didn't blame herâ he stopped trusting him too. from that point on, Steve's mom would always go with his dad for his business trips. He tried not to think about if his dad ever saw that girl again.
Things changed. His mom, who had always loved gardening, hired a guy to take care of the flowers instead. the flowers were never as bright as they were when she used to take care of them. And sure, she had always liked wine, but now, Steve couldn't recall when he didn't see her with a bottle next to her or with the twig of wine glass twisting between her fingers.Â
Things changed. They are tired now, both of them.
So yeah, he didn't have the fondest memories of vacations.Â
But when his two best friends, Robin Buckley, and Eddie Munson suggested a trip before the latter leaves for a band tour he had managed to land, Robin gets into her new college and he himself gets ready for his dad's workâ Steve just couldn't say no.
Currently they were in a random shop of the airport. Steve's legs are stiff from the long flight, same with his neck. if it was socially acceptable to lie like a puddle between the aisles of a store in an airport, he would do it.
âRobs, how long is this going to take?â Steve asks.Â
she ignores them as she cards through travel brochures and books, her back to the two boys. Steve adjusts his hold on the heavy basket, the thing filled to the brim with random snacks and some alcohol because the in-flight meal really was not it, plastic of the handle digging into his palm.
âJust pick one and let's check out already.â
âNo.â
Steve once again readjusts his hold on the basket, hoping that the robin's crankiness is because of the long flight and not because she is still mad at him, âwhy?â
âBecause someone has to plan where we are going to go. And neither of you two are too keen on itââ
"Don't drag me into this Buckley-" Robin shoots eddie a stern glare before he could even finish his sentence. He clears his throat before excusing himself from the aisle. The wheels of the suitcase he carried squeak behind him as they roll over the clean tiles of the airport.
Steve sighsâ yep, she was still mad at him, âRobs..â, he trails off, hoping she spares him a glance. when she doesn't and instead continues to flip through the glossy pages of the thin book, he speaks up, âHey, Robin.â
He hears her sigh. âHere", She tosses the books in the basket he had been holding and makes a beeline towards the cashier without sparing him a single look, "letâs just go.â
âŚ
[Ek akela is sheher mein]
The sky is in this inbetween of day and evening with grey clouds above them while they load their luggage into the cab.
Eddie sits upfront, his frizzy hair now in a bun. Steve sits in the back with Robin, hoping to strike up conversation with her but the pair of headphones over her ears don't let him do so. Steve sighs, he can tell that she isn't listening to music, but they make it pretty clear she doesn't want to have a conversation.
The windows are cranked open, they have dried up water streaksâ it might have rained not too long ago. The asphalt is glistening, reflecting the yellow streetlamps and the red taillights. The cab driver drives like Eddieâ a bit too fast for Steveâs liking. Tires splash murky rainwater into little mesmerizing sprays when bikers drive through the puddles, surely wetting some of the passersby with the dirty water. Steve doesn't think of the dirty laundry those people would have to do though, or the showers those people have to take. Instead, he focuses on the sound the water creates, ringing against the metal of the underside of the car, a satisfying sound.
The cab driver takes so many turns, Steve lost count after the third one. A song plays on the radio, an old song, he can tell by the static and that accompanies the singer, the crackle at the beginning of the song. He doesn't know what the man sings in the song, it is quiet with its percussion, delicate with the strings. Steve catches Eddie absentmindedly tapping his fingers on his knee.Â
Steve looks over the console, it reads 106.4 FM. They're stuck in traffic when the song fades off. two voices come on, who Steve assumes are the hosts. They talk amongst themselves, joke, laugh, yet they speak with a perfect cadence that makes him think they've done it for ages. By the time the traffic gets moving, another song starts playing, this one more chipper than the last one.
The driver weaves through the crowd, making sure to use his horn more than is necessary. when he turns into a lane, Its a tight fit, the car and the road, yet somehow, he manages to maneuver the vehicle around the lamp post and random wrongly parked bikes.
The entire time they are checking into the hotel, Robin stands separately, flipping through the magazines near the sofa of the waiting area. Steve and Eddie fill in details and she only speaks up when asked for an id card. The staff helps them take their luggage to their rooms. Robin wordlessly goes into her room.Â
It is when Steve is taking off his shoes, Eddie jests, "what a scene ain't it Harrington?" Looking up, Steve finds the older boy holding the curtains wide open, the window faces a brick wall, despite being promised a good view. Steve doesn't say anything, he breathes out what can only be described as a half-hearted chuckle.
âWhat do I say to her?" Steve asks, running his hands over his face.
âDonât ask me,â Eddie shakes his head before hanging his jacket inside the closet, âit's you two who have the whole platonic soulmate shit going on, I'm just a third wheel over hereâ, he mumbles rather dryly, heading towards the bathroom, the door closing behind him.
...
Robin's room was right in front of theirs-- room 105. Steve knocks on the wood. The door swings open after a few seconds, and there is Robin in comfier clothes, makeup taken off and a deep furrow between her brows, âhey.â
âYou plan on being mad at me for all of this vacation?â
â...No, but you make it really easyâ, she rolls her eyes opening the door a bit more so he could come in.
âYeah⌠Iâm sorryâ, he apologises with a small grin as he slips in.
âI know dingusâ, she chuckles a little, closing the door.
he looks around the room, âDude, this room is so much betterâ, this was definitely more spacious than the one he and Eddie were in, âOr maybe thatâs âcause mine has Eddie in it.â
She holds up the bottle of vodka they had picked up at the store earlier, âdon't mind if I doâ, Steve makes grabby hands at the bottle, grinning when she passes it to him. He twists open the cap and pours it into the glasses she holds up that already had some water in them.
the corners of her lips curl up as well, âmine has somewhat of a balcony tooâ, she tells him, handing him his glass.
âdude, what?â, his eyes widen. and when he walks over, pulling the curtains aside he is met with the glimmering city skyline, âour window faces a brick wallâ
she laughs before sliding the glass door open. stepping forward, the balcony is smallâ the railing a mere two steps past the threshold of the sliding glass door. Robin leans, her elbows resting on the cool metal railing and Steve wipes away some of the rain droplets with his palm before following suit.Â
Despite it being around 9 pm, looking at the skyline it seems the city of Delhi never sleeps. there's a faint buzz of upbeat music playing somewhere closeâ there must be a club nearby. or a wedding.
âWe should go clubbing tomorrowâ, Robin suggests, raising her glass up in the air towards him.Â
he hums while raising his own. glasses clink, âsure thing, partnerâ he says before he downs the entire thing, face scrunching at the burning taste on his tongue.Â
Robin sips some of her own, her gaze moving down to the road below. There is a litter of puppies chasing each other around the empty street, the warm yellow light of the lamp post filtering over them. an older dog sits by the street light, watching over them. it's quieter than what the rest of the town seems like, hushed, calmer than the rush they had met on their way here.Â
Steve frowns at his already empty glass and goes back in the room to retrieve the bottle, pouring himself some more on the way back to the balcony, âshouldn't we offer some to Eddie?--â
âwe need to talkâ, she interrupts him.
they both pause as he gulps a bit of his drink before saying, "well, we are aren't we?"
"no, like talk-talk"
âokâ, he nods once before his brows meet in confusion, âabout..?â
"you said it yourself, I can't be mad at you the entire time we're here."
âRobs, it's okayââ
âI think it's pretty obvious I don't like you going for that job.â
âmhm, yeah, you've communicated that well enough.â
"exactly! and you still can't get it through your thick skull"
"what exactly?"
âyou don't want that job steve! I know you. you don't like that kind of job and I don't want you to do this thing just because your dad is pushing you to do itâ, her grip on her glass tightens, âit's-- it's stupid. thats a stupid thing to do.â
âit's not stupid Robinââ
âi want you to do a job that makes you happy, finance doesn't make you happyâ
âbelieve it or not robs, working at scoops also didn't make me all that happy, working with my best friend did. and you'll be moving out to chicagoâ
"if I get in", steve takes offence to how quickly she shuts down that possibility.
"you will. I know you don't believe it Robs, but you'll get that college you wanted and then you'll move out. and Eddie is doing all these gigs, trust me", he turns to her, silently begging for her to look him in his eyes, "me going for this job is the best option, Robin." When her eyes stay trained on the street below, he sighs before looking back up at the sky-- no stars in sight. "and you're right, it's not a job I want. but I do need it. and if my asshole dad is still willing to help my sorry ass then I should seize it right?"
he glances back at her, he doesn't get a response from her, yet Steve looks at her with furrowed brows, begging for her to agree.
two of the puppies wrestle amongst themselves, it's all high pitched barks and rolling around, dirtying their fur in the process.
its quiet for a while, he sips his remaining drink. for a while its just that ambiance, the muffled city noise, dogs barking, the hum of air conditioners.
"dude, you're going to become a finance bro", Steve finally hears her say, "then I'll be best friends with a finance bro, ew", she scrunches her face the way he knows it's mostly playful, a laugh falling from her lips by the end of the sentence.
I want you to do a job that makes you happy.
I want you happy.
he laughs too, breathy. he readjusts his grip on his glass, leaning against the rails next to her. âI'm gonna save up, robsâ, he promises looking her right in the eyes-- its hard to see the blue in them in this dark, âand if everything works out we can just get an apartment in Chicago then we can be roommates?â
she looks back at him, brows shooting up, â...you promise?â
âpinky.â
she gulps before taking another sip from the glass in her hand, âI don't wanna lose more people steveâ, she says, her thumb wiping the condensation on the glass in her hand, and he can tell she's trying her darndest to not let her voice crack.Â
her parents hadn't taken kindly to her coming out. she hadn't even meant to come out. Vickie's ex boyfriend had outed both of them to their parentsâ it had been a mess.Â
whenever she'd tried to call her parents, as soon as they'd realise that it was her, the line would cut off. Once they recognised that she'd always call from either Steve's or Nancy's, they stopped picking up altogether.Â
it's been months.
âyou won't ever lose me Robsâ, he immediately says because there is no doubt in it, meaning it more than anything else.Â
She leans her head on his shoulder, letting in a deep breath, and somehow Steve just knows it means âI love you, dingusâ
He wraps an arm around her, squeezing her shoulder âlove you too birdieâ.
Silence takes over, but it isn't all that much quiet, the puppies bark, their feet splashing against the little puddle they are playing around now. The two who had been fighting are licking each other. The faint music is still present, cars still honking away in the heart of the cityâ people honk a lot here. It's all faint but there.Â
âSo", he takes in a deep breath, "you plan where we're going yet?â
Robin takes her head off his shoulder before clearing her throat, âyeah, a bitâ", she takes a sip of the forgotten drink in her hold, "there's just so muchâ there's too much honestly. maybe we get a guide but like those are expensive aren't they? I don't know, maybe they aren'tâ"
"Robs slow down"
"Okay, okay uh... I have a couple places down", she walks back into the room, picks up the book she had gotten earlier and hands it to him. Flipping through the glossy pages, Steve sees a few monuments and tourist attractions are marked by a pen, Steve is sure he can't pronounce most of these names.
âOh, did you know they have a toilet museum here?â Robin speaks up after some time.
âwhââ
âbefore you say it, yes I'm being serious, they have a toilet museum, and were going thereâ
âseriously? they have historical buildings, monuments, tombs and shit and you wanna see a toilet museum?â
"we'll go to those places too but I also wanna see a toilet museum"
"why?"
"so I can find a place for you and Eddie to live."
âthanks", he deadpans.
They discuss and talk through their plans for the next day. its after midnight when Steve says his goodnight, the bottle of remaining vodka in his hand. for Eddie of course.
âNight Steve, kiss Eddie goodnight for me!â
âshut up.â
âŚ.
Despite having zero concrete plans, Steve, Robin and Eddie were definitely behind on their schedule. Sleeping in too late made them miss their free complementary breakfast that the hotel offered.Â
Steve was so hungry that he would eat Eddie if it was morally and ethically an okay thing to do.
They instead had to order the hotel food which took way too goddamn long to come. Thankfully, when they were done, the hotel manager offered them a guide and a cab to show them around.
The guide was fluent in english, talking about the history of the places he took them. Qutb minar, Jama Masjid, Swaminarayan Akshardham, Humayun's tomb, india gate, lotus temple, All historical places and important monuments. And as beautiful as they were, all the information sort of muddled together for Steve. although incredibly knowledgeable, the guide was going a bit too fast for him.Â
when the tour for the day was nearing an end, Robin bought up the toilet museum. If the man wasn't getting paid such a good amount, he wouldnât have bothered to even hide his judgement like he did.
...
âThat one looks like a confession boothâ, Eddie points to the wooden seat that looked to be from the olden times, and much to his credit, the description was in fact apt.
âThat one just looks like a bird-bath!â Robin points to the one in question and once again the description was accurate.
âThis one is just a glorified flower pot.â
âIs it really glorified though?â
âDo you think⌠they'll let us sit on it? I wanna sit on the confession booth oneâ
â.. I dont know robin, why dont you ask them.â
âPlease, do not touch themâ, the guide interrupts them immediately.
âDude, that one looks like a therapist's chair!â robin skips towards the toilet seat in question, having the time of her life. The other two follow behind. Steve looked around at the multitude of posters hung on the wallsâ who knew toilets would have such rich history. Along with informative posters, the walls were also covered in comic strips related to poopâ toilet humor at its finest, truly.
Steve takes a big gulp from the water bottle Robin had made to hold. just when he is doing so, he feels someone bump into his shoulder, some of the water spilling onto his shirt from the action.
"oh shit, I'm so sorry!" you apologise with wide eyes.
a "sorry" falls from Steve's lips as well even though he didn't do anything.
Your wide eyes morph into a shy smile, âoh shit", you mumble, giggles erupting from your throat before you even know it, "You know âcause��� uh.. Shit", you try to explain, gesturing around you.
âOh, yeah, yeah I get itâ
âSorry, by the wayâ
âIts okay. I wasn't lookingâ, you smile a little shyly when he shakes his head, âI was just looking at⌠all thisâ, he pointing his thumb in the general direction of the wall. You hum through a small laugh "I mean who would even think of a toilet based museum?"
âmaybe it's a dig at how the British took everything else soâŚ."
"holy shit, that's an interesting way to look at it"
"yeah, pretty sure it's not true but that's how I choose to look at it"
âIâ Iâm sorry, I didn't quite catch your nameââ
âHey, Steve!â he stops midway when he hears his name from across the hall, voice belonging to Robin.
âSorry, I have to go, I've been here for hours,â you start walking past him, glancing at your watch, âFun meeting you, Steve.â
"Who was that girl?" is the first thing Robin asks when Steve finally walks over to them.
He shrugs, "the hell am I supposed to know?"
"So you talked to her for like half an hour and you don't know?"
"It wasn't that long, Munson."
"it felt that long, especially considering the second hand embarrassment I felt from way over there."
He rolls his eyes, unscrewing his abandoned water bottle and taking a swig from it while walking ahead.
âHey dingus, quit being sulky.â
âI'm not being sulkyâ
âYeah, you are. I mean, what were you expecting Harrington? a meet-cute?â
âno, dude. I was just trying to talk to someone normalâ
âI know the urges are there harringtonâ, Robin starts, making Steve scrunch up his nose at her choice of words, âits been months since the break upâ I get it. There's a time and place for everything. This was not it.â
âOh my godâ, Steve mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose.
âGive poor Harrington a break Robinâ, Eddieâs hand claps the boy's shoulder, speaking with a kind cadenceâ one too kind for Edward Munson, âmaybe he hasn't moved on, didn't he say that she was the one?â
âThe one? Doesn't our hopeless romantic say that about every girl? Even me, at one pointâ if I remember correctly?â
âGod, you're never gonna let me live that down are you?â
âNo.â
âOkay, stopâ, Steve holds up his hands, âI wasn't doing anything. she just bumped into me and⌠small talk happened, that's it. end of story. and I'm not being sulky or anything. and yes I am very much over the break up, it happened months ago. So can you both stop bringing it up all the time?â
Robin and Eddie share a look, â..sure.â
âŚ
Eddie and Robin had already collected back the room keys, and already left for their respective rooms. Crowning Steve with the responsibility of handling the finances with the tour guide. It is when Steve is paying the guide, the glass door opens. And when Steve glances over, he is met with your face. He can't help the smile that creeps onto his face.
You haven't noticed him yet, instead walking straight towards the counter. "Room 111â, he hears you say while he tries to hand the money to the guide as quickly as possible.Â
The guide nods, thanking him with a smile. The key clink when the manager puts it on the counter, Steve is there and the words come out of his mouth before he even knows it. âToilet museum girl?â
Your head snaps towards him, features morphing into what can only be described as disgust. There is a flash of recognition before you say, âuh⌠what the fuck did you just call me?â
âNothing, nothing. I justâ we just keep running into each other, don't we?â
A smirk comes onto your face, you swipe up the keys from the counter before you start moving towards the elevators, âThat we do. Are you stalking me?â
âuh, not intentionally, no", he clarifies, following behind you.
You give him a look, "uh huh."
"I know it looks bad but I swear it's happenstance"
The elevator button lights up beneath your finger when you press it, "Sure", you say in a tone that says you do not believe him at all.
"i swear I'mâ"
"I already said âsureâ", you deadpan, the doors ding open and the both of you step in. He sees the corners of your mouth curl up when you move to press the button for the floor you both were on, Steve couldn't help but smile too.
"yeah but the way you said it... said otherwise"
"what? what way?" your brows pull together, voice with the same sarcastic lilt.
"you're doing it again, toilet girl."
"Here's a deal steve, don't call me anything toilet museum related and I'll stop using that tone."
"deal. but... what should I call you then?", he asks, shoving his hands in his jean pocketsâ trying to take a confident pose, "I could call you by your name... but you won't tell me"
"have you heard of stranger danger Steve?", You cross your arms, turning towards him, "what if I was a serial killer who only murders in small suffocating elevators?"
The elevator dings again, the door opening on their own accord, "then it's a good thing we're here already!", he says, gesturing for you to step out, "and we aren't really strangers--"
"we are."
"Well, we can change that, can't we?", you stop at your room number. you don't answer, but Steve is sure he heard you hum under the rattle of your keys.
When the lock clicks open, he speaks up, âHey, uh... what're you doing tonight?â
You turn around, â... uh, Sleep probablyâ, thereâs that tone again.
âNo, princessâ, he mimics your sarcastic tone but the nickname comes out before he even knows, âbefore that.âÂ
Your eyes narrow, maybe at the tone, maybe at the nickname, âNothing, I'll probably rot in bed or somethingâ
âYou're alone?â
âDoes it matter?â you counter immediately.
âWell weâre going to a club nearby, you can tag along? and if you're with someone you can bring them along too?"
"Why must I? You could be an international axe murderer"
âYou think such a handsome, pretty face could ever murder?â
âAnd what if I say I don't do alcohol?â
âThen you can be our designated driver?â
âYeah, noâ, you sigh, the door knob twisting in your hand.
âOkay, well if you change your mindâ it's the club right down the road.â
âHave fun with your friendsâ, is all you say before disappearing behind the door. And Steve is left behind, staring at the wood, the number 111 mocking him.
God, what the fuck was he thinking?
âŚ
The next morning, they thankfully wake up on time despite being definitely and awfully hungover. So here Steve was, with his messy bed hair and sleep mussed eyes, standing in line for the toaster, with a plate in his hand.Â
Steve blinks slowly as the queue moves, the air smells like coffee, warm toast, and waffles. He can smell spices too, probably from the dishes which he had never had before or heard the name of. And as much as Steve loves trying out new dishes, a hangover is not a good time to experiment with his taste buds so he thinks heâll have to chew on toast and wash it down with mediocre coffee this morning.Â
The line moves forward again, he feels something brush against his back but he chalks it up as an accident and ignores it. He turns when he feels a finger poking into his shoulder and it's you. âHiâ, you smile up at him, you're wearing jeans and a pink embroidered top. Your hair is untied, tucked behind your ears and a little damp.
His free hand immediately flies up to his hair, fingers running through the messy strands to make it look a little more presentable, âuh, hiâ, palm smoothes over his wrinkly t-shirt.
âIs.. is that your friend?â you say pointing to Eddie who was standing over at the waffle machine, pouring some honey on his stack.
âYeah, yeah that's Eddieâ
âOh, makes senseâ, you say, met with confusion written on Steve's face, âHe kept trying to strike up a conversation. Also his waffles are a little burntâ I wouldn't share if I were you.â Steve laughs at that, fingers still trying to tame his wild mess of hair, âSo, I see you had fun at that club last nightâ
âThat obvious?â
âVery.â
"Where are you planning on going today?", you ask.
"not sure, Robin is deciding right now probably"
âRobin..?â
âOh, sheâs over thereâ, he points to his best-friend who was sitting at an empty table, coffee already in hand, flipping through pages of a book.
"you three really didn't plan any of this huh?"
"no, not really."
âŚ
"so you're telling me you're travelling by car and barely trying any street food. jail. jail time to all of you", you were sitting with Steve and his friends now.
"how the hell were we supposed to know? the guide didn't tell us"
"what was the poor guy supposed to do? you can't see so much in just a couple days"
"but there's just so much", you hear Robin speak up for the first time.
"yeah! and you have to accept that you can't see everything, no matter what you do, you're always going to miss something. so shorten this list of yours. and the things you do see, take your time with them. or you'll forget them."
âOk bud, then where should we go?â
"well if you want to you can go to the red fort, then chandni chowk and then Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah? Its thursday so itâll be absolutely packed"
"Okay. Will we find you there?"
"I hope not." you say non-chalantly while sipping your chai.
"maybeâ maybe we can all go together?" Steve suggests with raised eyebrows. you make an unconvinced noise at the offer. "Still on the fence about the axe murderer thing?"
"Always."
âŚ
Steve wasnt sure how, but he had managed to convince you to come along with them. He sat infront of you in the auto rikshaw, your hair had dried by the time you reached your first destination.Â
The tour around red fort ended rather quickly than he had anticipated, before you pulled them all to chandni chowk.
your hair was now tied up, some of the baby strands sticking to the back of your neck. you looked like you felt right at home, skipping from one shop to another. stopping for some delectable street food every now and then.
you were all enjoying a sweet syrupy jalebi when you called for Robin's name, âDo you like wearing earrings?â you ask.
the girl looks at you, a little hesitant when she answers, âUh.. sometiââ
âHere! This one would look great on youâ, you say holding up a pair of glimmering silver and blue earrings. "do you like it?"
"I- um, I do", you grin at that.
steve wasn't where the time flew, but they were already headed to your next destination on your list with bags of little things he, Eddie and Robin bought.
...
[kun Faya kun]
It felt weird to be barefoot, you had given all the shoes to a man by a store. Where the four of you stood now, the street looked breathtaking. Small shops, some selling flowers and incense, some selling religious blankets that you had called chaddars, others selling attar, and so on and so forth. The bright greens, reds, blues and oranges of the chaddars illuminated by the warm lights of the shops looked akin to a canopy of swirling colours.
Currently, you were helping Robin put on a scarf you had gotten earlier from a shop in Chandni chowk over her head, just the way that you had. When you were done, you instructed the two boys to cover their heads as well. When you were met with confused looks from the two of them, you clicked your tongue before covering their head with their handkerchief and tying it behind their head.
The man at the store then handed you a few plates with flowers, incense and a few threads, âwhat are those for?â he asks, pointing at the threads.
âYou make a wish with themâ, his brows scrunch up together, âcome on, I'll explainâ, you say, grabbing him by his wrist.
âŚ
âYou see these walls? people come from all over, they tie a threadâ, you say pointing to a man who was tying the red string into the lattice of the wall. the entire wall had such threads tied to them-- all little prayers and wishes made by someone out there. so many people want something. âand they make a mannat. you tie a thread and make a wish. it's like you're asking for a favour.â
âso I ask for whatever I want?â
âwhatever you want", you echoed with a smile before pointing to where a lot of men were by the wall, âyou boys do it over there, me and Robin are going thereâ it's reserved for women".
When Steve is looping the thread through the hole, he does so mindlessly, and only when he is about to tighten the knot does he stop to wonder⌠what exactly is he wishing for? what the hell does he want?
He looks over at Eddie, who already has his temple leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. Steve wonders what he asked for. he thinks he has a hunch.
Without even thinking, his eyes start searching for robin. he sees you help her tie it before the girl leans her head against the wall too. Steve knows full well what she wants.Â
And then he sees you, you hesitate while looping the thread. you hesitate when tie the first knot. you hesitate for the second. even from this far away, he could see the hesitation in your eyes before you close them.
He blinks and his gaze snaps back to his own thread, the knot still not tightened. His fingers move on their own when he ties the first one.Â
what does he want?
He twists the red thread, looping the long end through the loop.
what does he want?
And when he ties the last knot, it echoes in his brain, âwhat do I want?â
âŚ
The group of men sing at the top of their lungsâ their voices carrying experience, a roughness that only years of singing can bring. Eddie explains to Steve that the instrument the man was playing was called a harmonium and a dholak.Â
âhow do you know that?â
âI know a lot, Harringtonâ, he chuckles when he says it.
Steve glances to where you and Robin are sitting among the other women. and despite being surrounded by such a huge crowd, he can tell Robin is calm which he is glad of. He sees you; you're looking at Robin with an expression he can't quite read, and when she glances your way, you quickly flash her a smile before reverting your eyes back to the singing men.
Its awkward, he can tell that much from afar. He thinks Robin is a little nervous around you, maybe finds you attractive with how little she makes eye contact with you, and how everytime you had said anything to her, it was answered in merely a couple words. He can't make sense of your behaviour though, or the way you look at her a little forlorn. he thinks maybe you're hurt by how unwilling Robin might seem to talk to you despite your constant attempts.
[Aaj jaane ki zid na karo]
You all had come back to the hotel an hour or two ago. As soon as you all had arrived, you had left for your room, something about a call you had to make. And now after taking a bit of a rest, they were getting ready to spend whats left of the night at the club they went to last night.
Steve had his fingers crossed, planning on inviting you with them, hoping to god that you agree because he had fun. a lot more than he would like to admit to you or even his friends.
They're all in Steve's and Eddie's room. Robin all ready, sitting on the edge of his bed. Eddie is tying his shoes, his hair already up, his favourite rings on his digits.
Steve himself was trying to get his hair right, despite how much he had styled his thick strands at the start of the day, they were a little flattened now after the day. after he put some pomade on and his hair was just the way he wanted it, he sprayed on his cologne. just when he was contemplating whether to take his ray-bans with him or not, there was a knock on the door.
Eddie who had been putting on his jacket, was the closest to the door. when he clicked open the door, he was met with your face.
"Hi", you say with a smile before noticing that they're all getting ready to go somewhere. "what're you guys getting dolled up for?"
"We were just going to the club nearby--"
"d'you wanna come with?" Steve offers immediately, walking closer.
"um.. Iâ I can't..", you mumble apologetically, fingers fidgeting, âI just came here because I wanted to say that I had a lot of fun. And uh, all that.â
"So did weâ, Eddie says.
"I just wanted to meet you guys before⌠leaving"
Steveâs face falls a little, âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âI'm heading out around 2 am. I have a flight at 4. I'm going south after this."
âOh.â
Its silent. Nobody says anything, what could they say anyway, you were still technically a strangerâ they didnt even know your name yet. You hid your hands behind yourself, perhaps picking at your cuticles. Your eyes flitting between all three of them, âI didn't just want to leave soâŚâ, you lift your arms, Eddie who was the closest, hugged you first. Then you moved to Robin, not giving her a second to say anything, you wrap your arms around her shoulders. After maybe a second, she wraps her arms around you too, patting your back a little awkwardly. When you pull away, her face is a little red. You offer her a smile and she finally returns a rather timid one herself.Â
Your eyes meet Steveâs, you walk over, he moves closer as well. And when you are face to face, you smile up at him. There's a light in your eyes, subdued but there. And from up this close, he thinks you can see it all, all of him. All his doubts, his insecurities, anxieties. Yet you're smiling up at him.
You rock him a little when you hug him, taking him off his balance. He envelops you in his hold, squeezing tighter than he thought he would. "I really had funâ, his eyes close on their own accord when he feels your warm breath on his neck, when he feels your smile on his skin.Â
âMy name is y/n by the way."Â
Steve pulls away just a little, eyes trained on yours, "canât you come with us before leaving? It won't take too long."
"Steve...", you start, voice all soft and apologetic.
"No, its okay", he shakes his head before smiling.
You return a smile back before looping your arms around his neck once again, "I'm glad we met Steve."
"me too."
You pull back, looking him in the eyes, you whisper, "goodbye."
"anyway⌠Umââ, you clear your throat, Steve's hold loosening on you and you remove your arms from around him as well, stepping away. You stiffly walk towards the door, stopping at the threshold, the knob in your grasp, âyou guys have fun! don't get robbed or scammed or whatever. Bye." you gave them one last sheepish smile before closing the door.
...
Prayers entwined into the thread of us all
mine was empty
I lied to the strangers I met, free as wind
she reminded me of her
Its not like weâll meet again, I'll be loud and cheap
she doesn't look at me just like she did
Iâll hug them goodbye, Iâll be a mystery.
...
#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington#stranger things#steve harrington x reader angst#steve harrington angst#steve harrington x reader fluff#steve harrington x desi!reader#desi!fem!reader#stranger things au#stranger things fic#desi!reader#steve harrington fluff
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PROMISED STEVE POST
This got long cause this part is very much all stuff I added to the story specifically for them đđđ
So Steve is Paulâs cousin and part of one of the richy rich families. Rn heâs probably Eddieâs (or whoever is Eddieâs) little brother but that may change when I read the books. Steve is very much considered a stain on the family because heâs the product of an affair between the mom and some random poor guy which for that family is a very big deal-. But because they want to keep to appearances thereâs no divorce and Steve stays with the family and never actually meets his dad (despite the fact that his bio dad absolutely adores him and fought tooth and nail to be able to at least see his son. Steve doesnât know that tho). Steve insists he doesnât care that his whole family hates him but he cares likeâŚa lot.
So Steve, Paul, and whoever ends up being Astrid are all SUPER close. They basically treated Steve like their little brother. Paul always stood up for Steve and got away with it because he was the favorite. Steve wonât admit it but he was hit HARD when Paul left home. Like he cried at the airport and it was easily the first time Paul had seen him cry in years. Paul still tries to talk to him at least once a week and Steve finds out about Darry long before the rest of the family does.
So Steve is pretty much dreading the wedding other than the fact that he gets to see Paul for the first time in years. Steve finds out that Paulâs bringing Darry and think itâs an awful idea because Darry doesnât even know Paulâs lore and also the family just found out about Darry and are like losing their shit-. And THEN Steve finds out Paul is also bringing Darryâs brothers and thinks thatâs a worse idea but what does he know heâs just the kid đđđ.
Steve goes with Paulâs best friend to pick them up from the airport and theyâre all excited to see eachother and itâs cute. When theyâre hanging out and exploring and eating dinner and stuff he starts talking to Soda (Ponyboy freaks him out). And they hit it off like IMMEDIATELY. Instant besties right here. Darry and Ponyboy are a bit weary but Paul swears up and down that Steve is a good kid. And then Steve goes home that night and the whole family is still like going insane that Paul is dating some random roofer guy.
And Steve hears how upset they are, and heâs been being told his whole life that the only good thing he could do for this family is marry well and then they can get back on track and write off the whole affair thing as a one time blip in the family tree. And so Steve knows this, and he sees how mad they are that Paul is with Darry, and he hears all the shit being talked about Darryâs brothers. And he REALLY feels the need to prove to us family that he doesnât care about them. And Sodaâs nice, and fun to talk to, and Steve laughed more in that one night than he had in weeks. Not to mention Soda is really good looking. And an idea forms in his head, a little two week fling sort of, they flirt with eachother and show up everywhere together, his family would get pissed and other than that no harm done.
They show up together the next day at the party, heâs there to help Paul introduce Darry and his brothers to Paulâs mom. It all goes really well, Sodaâs a charmer by nature and he already is starting to feel an attraction to Steve, and Steve is having a genuinely amazing time when he thought this whole thing would suck. Eventually Steve gets sick of hearing the same passive aggressive comments and he can tell the looks the family gives Soda are starting to bother him, so they sneak off to Steveâs room. Soda winds up telling Steve about his parents and Johnny and Dally, and Steve tells Soda about his bio dad which heâs never told anyone outside the family. They end up falling asleep together and Paul definetly takes pictures.
Now, the first problem comes due to the fact that Soda falls in love really fucking easily. Like. Heâs head over heels by the next morning. Steve is also kinda in love too ngl but like- he doesnât realize that. So for the next little while itâs that, Soda keeps falling more in love and Steve is trying to convince himself itâs just a means to an end. But his heart jumps whenever he sees Soda, and heâs trying way too hard to make him smile. And then at some point Steve and Soda sneak off to go exploring and they end up having a kiss. And Steve freaks out and runs away and oopsie itâs time for the bachelor party.He also finds out about Astrids husband cheating at this point too which makes stuff worse.
The Curtis brothers donât go to the party obviously (the fish thing still happens but I havenât figured that out yet). And Steve and Paul are sticking together and Steve is seeing how people talk about Darry to Paulâs face. And now heâs starting to think that if he really loves Soda he shouldnât put him in this situation where heâll spend his whole life never being good enough and always being âlesser thanâ. Because he knows how that feels and itâs AWFUL. When they finally escape the party, Steve tells Paul about it. Paul tells Steve he knows itâs selfish to put someone like Darry or Soda into the family. Thatâs why Paul is walking out as soon as he marries Darry, which is gonna be soon cause he plans to propose.
Paul basically tells Steve that both of them are more than deserving of everything good about eachother, and whatever Steve does heâll back him up. But he also says that Steve needs to think about if heâs really serious about this, and if Soda would be worth losing everything. And if Steve decides that he isnât, then Steve needs to stop leading Soda on and cut things off before he fucks everything up worse.
So Steve thinks on it and basically goes âno fuck it I deserve to be happy and I hate this family anywayâ. But he canât like go all in yet cause heâs 17- but he talks feelings with Soda and they start doing this âkind of couple kind of notâ thing. And things are going amazing up until the wedding, where they find out that Darry was also the product of an affair and that Darryâs dad is very much alive. The grandmother and Paulâs mom corner him about it while Steve and Soda are odd dancing somewhere else, but Soda sees Darry run away from the party. He runs after Darry and Steve follows him without hesitation, but then heâs blocked by Paulâs mom. And she tells him that Soda isnât something anybody in this family should associate with, especially not him. And the entire family is suddenly staring at Steve, and they look disappointed and disgusted, but also like theyâve never expected any better from him. And Steve suddenly feels a lot of pressure he was not remotely prepared for. And he folds and lets Soda run away on his own.
He immediately regrets it, and tries to find him again but by now itâs too late. Soda ignores all his texts but doesnât block his number and Steve only finds out from Paul about them all going back home and Darry turning down the proposal. Steve straight up feels like the stupidest person in the world. And then Paulâs mother in character development gives Paul her engagement ring, and she probably has a long talk with Steve about the way sheâs treated him and allowed the family to treat him. Steve doesnât really forgive her or even let it help that much, but she does tell him to go after Soda. So Steve follows Paul to the airport, and waits at the gate while Paul goes to propose on the plane. When Soda gets off, Steve is there and the first words out of his mouth are all about how sorry he is. Soda kisses him and they hug and itâs all a very unrealistically happily ever after because this is still a rom com đđđ
I think at some point Steve also meets his bio dad and his half siblings and downright ditches the family to stay with them because they like- actually love him and think heâs worth something- thatâs a whole other story tho
#the outsiders#the outsiders au#sodapop curtis#ponyboy curtis#darry curtis#steve randle#This got so long#stevepop
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On Mcu!Wanda: I donât have to argue cause I already know what her stans are gonna say đ
đşShe never hurt anyone on purpose!
Ignoring how she was literally a serial killer in MoM, she willingly agreed to work with a nazi organisation, she mind-r*ped all the Avengers in AoU, she was fine with helping Ultron murder the Avengers and only changed her mind when she realised he was gonna murder ALL humans (including her), she intentionally unleashed the Hulk on a town full of innocent people, she beat the shit out of Vision just so she could get out of house arrest for a legitimate crime she committed, she attacked Team Tony also to keep from going back to her temporary time-out in a giant comfy mansion, she held an entire town hostage and then tortured them when they begged to be let go, she attacked the people who were trying to help those hostages, and then she trapped another witch in an eternal sitcom just cause she was trying to get her to free said hostages. And thatâs just what I can think of off the top of my head.
đşWell, look what sheâs been through! Sheâs lost more than anyone!
Literally every other hero in the mcu has lost someone. Most of them have lost more than her, in fact. Rocket lost his entire found family, Steve lost his entire life in the 40s (including his girlfriend, friends, teammates), Drax lost his whole family, Quill lost his mom and his life on earth, Gamora and Nebula lost their families and their worlds and their autonomy, Thor lost his entire realm, his entire family, his friends, his shield mates, and his eyeâŚâŚ. And none of them went torturing homicidal psycho like she did.
đşThe writers for MoM butchered her character- she was never that selfish before. So the stuff she did in this movie shouldnât be considered canon.
Ok, bestie. I hate Mike Waldron too. But hereâs the thing.. all the way back in AoU she was indirectly mass murdering innocent people just to satisfy her thirst for revenge. In Civil War, when everyone else was fighting for their moral convictions, she was fighting to avoid an extremely lenient punishment for a crime she did, in fact, commit. In WV, she held an entire innocent town hostage- and I know she didnât so it on purpose, but when she found out what was going on, she didnât stop. She kept holding them hostage, tortured them, and said they should be grateful. And then she broke down because eVerYOneâS mAD at MeEeE!! She read the Darkhold even though she knew it was a shit idea. In MoM, she went on a multiversal murder spree, tortured a child, ruined an alt version of herselfâs life, and was gonna steal the childâs powers to have for herself. Selfishness is a CORE aspect of her personality.
đşWell, it was just the Darkhold corrupting her! She was basically possessed! You canât hold her actions in MoM against her!
I can and I will! You know why? Cause she knew damn well the Darkhold would corrupt her if she read it, and she did it anyway. Like if you murder someone when youâre drunk, itâs true that thatâs not how you usually are. But if youâre aware that you go into homicidal rages when you drink, and you choose to get hammered anyway, and then you kill a couple peopleâŚâŚ đ¤ˇââď¸.
đşAll that aside, she had some feminist moments in MoM, we staaaaan a queen!
Where? I saw a few pseudo-feminist moments (you know, the ones the mcu specialises in). If youâre talking about her âYou break the rules and become a hero, I do it and become an enemy. That doesnât seem fair.â line, sheâs not calling out the patriarchy there. Sheâs well into being corrupted by the book and that line is to show that her perception of reality has already been altered. Because, you knowâŚ. Stephen broke the rules to help a kid and then he tried to fix it. She broke the rules to get back the kids she never really had in the first place, and killed a bunch of people to do it. If youâre talking about the âThose kids arenât real, you made them out of magic. Isnât that what all mothers do?â line, then thatâs also not an empowering pro-motherhood quote. Thatâs her being delusional again because she doesnât realise that her kids werenât real and she wasnât being a real mother to them and real motherhood requires a lot MORE than magic.
đşCharacter aside, sheâs a complete badass! She can do literally anything with her chaos magic! She was beating Thanos by herself! She took out all of Kamar-Taj and The Illuminati alone! She was made to rule the multiverse!
*sigh* sure ok. Not really but whatever. Most of what she did in MoM was stuff she got from the Darkhold, and Doctor Strange repeated several of the more impressive spells she did later in the same movie. And even though, pre-Darkhold, sheâs definitely pretty powerful, it annoys the hell out of me how a bunch of magic-y movies (The Craft, hello???) have this trope where some newbie stereotypically pretty young white girl just suddenly has powers that are strong af and dominates all the other sorcerers who have been practicing for literal decades/centuries. Itâs such lazy writing and the âthe attractive boring mainstream character will always triumph over the othered characters no matter how undeserving they areâ through-line is not subtle at all. Ever notice how Ms Pumpkin Spice Latte seems to cause enormous suffering for black and brown people specifically? No? Just me? Mm.
đşBut you at least like her as a villain, right?
No. Well, thatâs a little unfair. If she had been narratively portrayed as a villain (including all of the consequences that come with it) ever since she was introduced in AoU, then yeah I probably would. Cause sheâs been doing villainous shit since way back then. But the thing is, sheâs been getting infantilised and excused and Pretty-White-Girlâed into oblivion for like 7 years now, to the point where itâs too little too late. I donât care if theyâre finally admitting sheâs Not So Innocent⌠at this point, I have no sympathy and no interest whatsoever⌠just get rid of the character.
đşYou like Loki but not Wanda? Isnât that hypocritical?
Nope cause the writers and the other characters and even Loki himself remind us every 3 and a half seconds that heâs evil despicable terrible awful no good very bad⌠Wanda gets the opposite treatment. Lokiâs definitely a villain, but everybody in-universe knows that and the writers know it and he knows it, and heâs faced consequences for it, and thereâs a delightful honesty in his gleeful bad guy approach.
đşWell at least admit that Elizabeth Olsen is perfect in the role.
Elizabeth Olsenâs annoying and I wouldâve much rather had a romani actress play her, thanks. Thatâs not to say Elizabeth is a bad person, though. Iâm sure sheâs a sweetheart (idk, I donât follow her).
#anti wanda maximoff#Wanda critical#anti scarlet witch#not Wanda friendly#multiverse of madness#mcu#marvel#PLEASE tag this as anti Wanda if you rb Iâm not trying to deal with Wendy defenders
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H50, season 5, episode 1 thoughts...
Whatttt?
Okay, I have seen this scene before. The boys obviously in some kind of therapy. I just, honestly thought it was part of the whole therapy episode that, I think, comes in a later season.
But apparently I get BOTH!
Danny: We have been together for three years
Steve: Four
The fact that Steve then corrects him down to the day. Yeah, someone's been paying attention.
Also, Steve in that blue button up. Mmmhmmmm.
This is so beautiful I just want to quote it all.
Sir Daniel.
The fact that this is how they're starting the season... it's an obvious recap of who everyone is for new viewers but ... really?? ... could they have made it any more mcdanno??
Steve: we're ohana
Danny: I guess I was just agreeing with him, for the first time
No matter how much they argue they're family.
This poor couple obviously something is gonna go wrong... and it did.
And just in case we haven't been able to tell from his general vibes, one of Danny's intro scenes is now him and baby Joan (I think, based on how short it is). Just so we know he's father material.
(And if it's Joan, interesting that him interacting with Steve's niece is considered important enough for his intro)
Kono and Adam being adorable.
Wait. Was she surfing with her phone on her ankle? I may need me a waterproof case like that that is actually waterproof!
Hey, Steve let someone else fly the helicopter.
Shaw: you must be Detective Williams
Max: I have given her the full heads up
Danny: you gave her the heads up on what?
Steve: it's all true
And now you know there's a drone... go put your vests on.
Steve and Danny teasing Jerry together. And Danny has to slap Steve's thigh while doing so.
I'm sorry, Jerry, but yes, people do still read hard copy books.
Book em Danno.
And Steve's been shot.
Oh, look at that, Danny's just the right height for Steve to put his arm around him and use him as a crutch.
Steve: I can't drive, Danny
Danny: oh really? There's a silver lining in the face of death. Fantastic.
Steve: my leg will heal. Don't get used to it.
Okay, but now we need some cool action for stopping the plane please.
Okay, that drone was cool. Even if I did was some super Seal shanenigans (but I guess Steve's been shot, so...)
But he's up and running anyway...
Go Danny! Nice shooting!
Okay, and that clip ejection and reload was hot.
Yes, Steve does need a loyalty program with every fifth bullet extraction free. Lol.
Also, I note Danny is the one allowed to push his wheelchair.
Max: I just explained to Dr Shaw that Commander McGarrett is the leader of five-0 and that you're his deeply cynical, misanthropic, short-tempered partner.
Max: Dr Shaw agreed with my assessment, however, she did think you were cute.
Steve: hey! *reaches his hand back for a fist-bump with Danny.
(Okay, but does Dr Shaw think Danny is Steve's cop partner or partner partner? Just asking)
Well, now they're setting up a whole bunch of things for the season...
Mention of Danny's brother again... that dude better not threateb Grace.
Okay, I think this is now one of my fav eps despite the fact wasn't as much fan of the drone storyline as some of the others we've had.
Deleted scenes...
Oh, this is a brilliant one of mcdanno arguing...
Danny: where do you get stones big enough to tell that lady that I get to drive my own car?
(Stones Danny? Where are your thoughts?)
Danny: I'd like to drive it when we're together as friends.
(Steve, Danny is inviting you on a friend date where he gets to drive the car, okay)
Oh wow. Catherine found Najib but decided to stay in Afghanistan.
Wow, so Catherine breaks up with Steve in a deleted scene.
(I mean, I'm not mad, cos I do like her as a character just not with Steve, and I like she was honest with him and her reasons for staying there are good)
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Headcannons: Urahara Kisuke
Heyo tumblr, for anyone that knows me it's no surprise I love this dork and have a slight bleach hyperfocus (not slight at all, thanks Philza for getting me onto it). And Urahara is probably my favorite character, not only in bleach, but in fiction, I do have a sort of list of characters I love in general and he is on number 6 in a list of 262 characters. So needless to say I got A LOT of hc of him.
Note: yes you can count some of them for C!Philza, bc I'm silly and Phil def got some inspiration writing wise.
Also thanks to @saranel (which is one of my fav blogs bleach wise even though it has no updates in AGES) since she inspires a lot of my headcannons and analysis for Kisuke.
Without further delay, let's get into it.
These headcannons are a bit all over the place but I talk a lot about science related stuff (but I do plan on making a separate post ONLY about scientist Kisuke, more specifically MAD scientist Kisuke) it's a bit of everything so enjoy
⢠First of all, Kisuke is a person with trust issues, this is obvious considering how he acts towards others during the series, but even more so when you notice we've never been shown his lab, room or any interiors that he spends a lot of time on aside from the shop, which makes me think he never lets ANYONE inside. The only exception being Yoruichi, Tessai, Ururu and Jinta. After all, they are the closest thing he has of family (a found family if you will), and spaces such as his room and lab are too personal, a place where he put his soul and time onto, not only to feel comfortable but bc is where he can hide from the outside and focus on his projects and curiosity without worrying about others or being too vulnerable.
⢠His lab is quite neat normally, but, when he gets IN THE ZONE. He definitely has a messy lab, coffee cups, snacks (if he even cares about eating), papers, components, materials, and everything scattered, probably has a futon laid on the floor (which Kisuke didn't want to place, it was Tessai worried for his friend's health since HE WAS SLEEPING UNDERNEATH THE TABLE OR IN THE CHAIR FOR *DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS*) which has some plushie and pillows and a single blanket, prob has a ton of books in the tables too and in general a messy place that only makes to him
⢠Kisuke IS a clingy sleeper, Yoruichi can't escape when they are together sharing the same bed since he clings onto her like a pale octopus, or a claw arcade machine and with a bear tight grip. So he def owns a couple of plushies or soft pillows for hugging when he can't have her near this way he doesn't feel alone
⢠Kisuke definitely spends some time searching about random science facts, experiments and so on, I like to think while he is smart, he is more smart towards technology,human mind wise and battle wise science fields, so he tends to search more about those specific topics in depth, being a poison master.
⢠Due to his passion for science, he started collecting books, rare documents and archives, rare samples of experiments, things like specific components still in development and so on, and keeps it all in a secret place in his lab
⢠Sexuality and gender wise, I view Kisuke as either bi or pan, he definitely experimented a bit of everything and that included different gendered partners and he found out he likes it, so yeah. Gender wise, Urahara in at least japanese uses non-binary but also female speech, which made me think perhaps he would be interested in crossdressing but also that he falls into the category of a man who doesn't care or want to fit the male stereotypes and expectations, plus probably wouldn't care THAT much for gender, so you can say either he is a cis man that only vibes with feminine stuff, or he is agender (which I like a lot), hell you can go as far to say he could even be genderfluid.
But in a resume so I don't make a whole ass post about this: pan or bi, agender or just feminine man.
⢠Video game nerd, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, A NINTENDO STAN. I view that his favorite Nintendo franchises would be Zelda and Mario, hell maybe he would even cosplay Link
⢠he totally went NUTS when Minecraft was released (considering bleach takes place in 2002 in the beginning so...yep) and def loves to play Minecraft (cof cof Philza) in his free time, would make a server for everyone to join, be a redstone nerd and only play in hardcore or in super modded servers.
⢠He would absolutely LOVE to make complex farms that break EVERY SINGLE LIMIT in the game scripts, plus make builds that take AGES to make and call it simple, plus he'd love the game since it's a great way to teach the kids stuff and practice everyone's creativity while hanging around in a fun way
⢠Would get famous in Karakura due to being a REALLY good player in any types of videogames, but then would brush it off as "just a hobby" to make kids feel better and keep trying to improve (while maybe selling merch in the shop to improve in the games.)
⢠When he came to the human world, he became CRAZY for coffee, he likes it pure black, no sugar, sometimes adds cream but that's it
⢠Loves to watch announcements of new technologies and discuss how he could improve them, or how he is impressed by how far they are coming, plus he loves 64 and 32 bits but was MARVELED at the first 3D he saw like a Nintendo 64 type or 3D and couldn't stop talking about "how realistic" it was getting and how he is excited for the future of technology
⢠He isn't a programmer, but I think he has knowledge of how to code stuff, I could imagine if he needed to expand his store or be away for too long or be needed in 2 different places, I can imagine Kisuke coding an 64 bits version of himself to welcome people to the store, kinda like a recording or prototype ai to talk with people about certain things while he is away and it would be a lot of different screens with different dialog and functions
⢠Loves to paint his nails and would make the craziest designs and show it off to everyone, but his to go nails are either:
A- plain black
B- green and white nails matching his hat
⢠I'm 100% convinced he owns multiple pairs of the same clothing. I'm talking like straight up 50 hats, same samue, same pants, same geta, SAME EVERYTHING. AND HE WILL POUT AND GET MAD IF FORCED TO CHANGE.
⢠autism codded. That's all I'm saying
⢠Probably a fan of metal music, baby metal too, hell he'd be CRAZY about vocaloid and his favorite would be Miku, Vflower and Len (perhaps kaito too)
⢠He is a big fan of going to temples to talk about the history of the place, how religion shaped the culture in Japan, why each temple is special, and despite being an atheist (and proud of it) he prob bought one or two fans from their gift shops because he finds them extra pretty and detailed
Well that's probably it for today, you can ask me anything about Urahara or bleach characters in general and I'll go bonkers with it and answer in the most complex way possible, so yeah, see ya chat
#urahara kisuke#urahara#bleach#bleach headcanons#silly#random#headcannons#mad scientist#philza minecraft#Spotify
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HEYYO I FINISHED MY VIV CHARACTER ANALYSIS/BIO/HCS!! +18
(UPDATE: I added a few more hcs cuz I forgot to add them. I might remember more so expect the list to get a little longer)
Just putting a few content warnings out there before you go on scrollinâ, there are some nsfw hcs down below so if youâre under 18, youâre in the wrong place. Also there is some mentions of family em*tional *buse and trauma so please skip if you donât wanna read. Anyways, please enjoy~
Full name: Viviano Westwood (wasnât born with a middle name)
Nicknames: Westwood, V, Viv, Vivi(donât ever call him this, heâll get mad), Vivikins(Or this), Big Guy/Fella/Lug, Vivano, Vibiano, Fabiano, Steve, Eastwood, Winwood, Jarhead(on second thought, only refer to him as either Westwood, V, or Viv)
Stand: Planet Waves (DISC)
Birthday: July 31st, 1983
Zodiac: Boar
Age: 28
Height: 6â1 (186 cm)
Nationality: American (Mostly of English and a bit of Italian descent)
Occupation: G. D. St. Prison guard
Personality: Large and in charge⌠sort of. Values brawn over brains. Not meaning heâs stupid, heâs just a simple man. Lacks in direction, both figuratively and literally. Because of his physical strength and his simple nature, he gets treated like an ox, whether it be from his parents or his job. Due to his upbringing, he has difficulty opening up or being sentimental. Instead, he copes through anger such as punching walls or snapping at people. He sees crying or being vulnerable as signs of weakness, another result from his upbringing. Likes to antagonize weak targets or criminals to make himself feel better. He claims he turned to the justice system because he wanted to keep evil people locked up for good from the public. That could be true, BUT others around him know thereâs more to it than the reason he gives. Behind this mask, heâs an insecure and lonely man. Doesnât have a spouse or kids or pets. He can be sociable, but doesnât have any close friends. His love life is zero to none. He relishes in the heat of the moment, but once the discussion of marriage or starting a family is brought up, heâs out the door. Despite his flaws, heâs strong, resilient and yearns for excitement in his life. Perhaps being with the right people, he can find himself underneath that cold exterior and be a nicer, happier guy.
Favorite musician: Earth, Wind, & Fire, The Marshall Tucker Band(heâs a closeted country fan), and not a fan of the singer but he likes Fantasy by Mariah Carey
Favorite book: Playboy magazine
Favorite food: Anything SPICY
Background: Viviano was born in 1983 in Texas to a military veteran father and a hairdresser mother. From the time he was in diapers to 12 years of age, he lived a strict military lifestyle. No, his father wasnât physical towards Viviano, but their relationship was better described as a âdrill sergeant and cadetâ dynamic than a âfather and sonâ one. Basically this meant raising Viv how to be a âmanâ like teaching him how to use a gun at 4 years old and berating him if he began to cry. If there was one thing Viviano feared the most⌠it was his father. He had a close relationship to his mother, even being labeled a âmommaâs boyâ by his dad.
By 12, his parents divorced and he chose to go with his mother to Florida, not before his father called him a âdisappointmentâ. For seven years, Viviano lived with his mom in Port Orange, Florida, being enrolled in junior high. While not as bad as his father and at times would be overly affectionate, his mom did boss him around. He was a growing boy after all, he was able to reach and physically do things that she couldnât. At school, teachers looked down at him as a strong, yet intellectually incompetent boy, who could care less about his grades. Not only that, he needed to boss someone like how his parents bossed him, so he made a name for himself as a bully. He would continue to pick on classmates all through high school until his grades were so abysmal he had to be held back in his senior year and didnât graduate until the year 2002 when he was about 19. Both of his parents were ashamed of this news.
After graduating high school, he tried to join the military but after three months of boot camp, he left. His father called him a âlost causeâ. It was the most humiliating moment of his life. He got a job at a Miami customs house and was there for years until he was let go. He wouldnât tell anyone why but supposedly it was due to his temper. At 25, he got a job as a prison guard at the Green Dolphin State Prison.
Random headcanons: (Warning: some are sfw/nsfw)
SFW:
-Has a bit of a gambling addiction
-Only child
-Not the best driver, gets worked up if he misses his turn
-Mf doesnât wear socks (I know I bring this up constantly as a joke but this is canon)
-His mom cuts his hair
-Overheats easily, heâs always warm to the touch not even an ice bath will cool him down
-Big sports fan, especially football and baseball, his favorite teams are the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Marlins, respectively
-Has a really bad habit of cracking his knuckles
-Has naturally long eyelashes
-Doesnât really have any talents besides bench pressing and being strong
-He can be self conscious about trivial things like being insecure about the size of his hands (heâs afraid of having small hands)
-Accidentally punched his grandma in the chest after tickling him too hard (she was okay just had to go to the hospital for a small fracture in her ribcage)
-Misses living in Texas
-He had a bit of a Texan accent growing up, itâs mostly gone but itâll randomly come up when his voice cracks
-Sucks at flirting
-Doesnât have a filter
NSFW:
-Not a virgin
-If you ask him who heâs into, he would say women but secretly, heâs a bit curious if ya catch my drift
-Doesnât really have a type as long as the woman is of age, consenting, and isnât a bitchy hag
-Likes being the dominant one when it comes to⌠ahem, the bed
-He likes to make anything into a âbattleâ; sex, play wrestling, tickle fights, etc. heâll do whatever it takes to make his partner submit (psst hey you, yeah you, thereâs a way to beat him, heâs super ticklish on his belly, ribs, and feet, get him in one of his death spots, heâll be sobbing for mercy)
-Frequently gets hard ons, even in the most inconvenient of times (at work)
-Likes to be on top, but is nice enough to be a service top too
-Loves a partner whoâs either a switch or just as domineering as he is
-One of his kinks is bondage, loves the idea of cuffing up his partner and letting his hands roam all over their body
-Can see him being a foot guy (dunno why, just cuz I guess); prefers to give than to receive because heâs ticklish but will be okay receiving it if his partner really wants to; but he loves foot jobs
-His favorite thing (Iâm sorry everyone)⌠is CBT; any chance his partner is grabbing or crushing him down there, heâs on cloud nine (this part was honestly painful to write)
-Loves oral, receiving that is (but he likes to give as well)
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I just finished reading the first of the three stories in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. I really liked it!
I had a very fun time retelling the story to my mom with names she would be able to follow since she isnât really that into the shows or the books. So hereâs my bastardized retelling of The Hedge Knight
Our friend Dunk is a squire and his knight dies. He keeps on going to the tournament that they were heading to anyway. Then he meets a sassy child that gets attached to him and follows him to the tournament and takes over as his new squire. His name is Egg. Thatâs not a joke, that is his name.
The tournament is cool and fun. Itâs kinda like a Ren Faire. Thereâs a cute lady. There are people from the royal family there. Itâs great. So Dunk is trying to entire the tournament people are like, just because you say youâre a knight doesnât mean you are one. You need to have someone vouch for you.
Dunk makes a friend and kind of fails to prove to anyone that matters who he is. Until he main characterâs himself into a room with Brad Breakspear, hand of the king. And Fuckin Mike, his brother.
Brad is like. I believe you. You can be in the tournament. And Mike is like, Iâm annoyed because two of my asshole idiot children are missing and the one that is here is a douchebag.
That douchebag is Aaron Brightflame.
My mom: Brightflame is a douchebag name
So Dunk is like enjoying the tourney party and hanging out with his new friend Ron Fossoway and his bitchy cousin Steve. When his little squire friend Egg comes running in and is like.
Dunk! Theyâre beating up the hot girl! Itâs main character hero moment!
And Dunk goes out there and beats the ever loving shit out of the guy that was hurting the hot girl he talked to like twice at this tournament.
Turns out, that guy was Aaron Brightflame. And heâs real mad that Dunk kicked his ass and knocked out a few of his teeth. And it also turns out that Dunk is not going to be killed on the spot for attacking a member of the royal family, because a very small bald Egg headed child also of the royal family is like. You canât hurt him because I said so.
So Dunk gets thrown in jail and is very sad that heâs missing the Super Bowl of jousting. Egg comes in to see him and says sorry for being a lair and also letting you get thrown in jail. My uncle Brad wants to talk to you.
So Dunk goes and talks to Brad. And Brad is like. You have three options.
1. Die
2. Lose the hand you punched Aaron with and also the foot you kicked him with
3. Fight in a 1v1
Dunk is like, I will take the 1v1. Thank you so very much. I would like to live if at all possible.
Except Aaron is like. No thatâs not good enough, I want to do the thing were me and 6 of my best friends kick the shit out you and your 6 best friends.
And Dunk is like. I donât have any friends.
And Aaron is like, exactly.
So Dunk goes to his one new friend Ron and his cousin Steve and is like⌠weâre friends right? And Ronâs like yesssss and Steve is like, sure? You can borrow some of my friends.
So Ron, Steve and Egg go find some friends. Eggâs drunken loser brother Dan also shows up and is like, I will be on the other side but Iâm a certified wuss and will be throwing the fight either way. Thatâs not important.
What is important, is Dan is like⌠Listen man, I know Iâm wasted. Like almost all the time. But I am so serious right now. I saw a vision of the future where you killed a dragon. I am from the dragon family, do not let that dragon be me. Go kick Aaronâs ass, not mine.
And Dunk is like, great :)
So itâs the next day and theyâre all greeting ready for this fight. Except fucking Steve is like, just kidding!! Iâm going to be on Aaronâs team so that heâll notice me!!
So Dunk is short one person and if canât find someone to stand in his place he automatically loses and will be dead. So Dunk gets on his Yee Old Megaphone and is like, âAnyone who doesnât volunteer to fight with me is a pussy and a loser with no honor!â
And someone goes âI will stand with you broâ
And everyone turns around. Is it Steve? Did he change his mind? No. Itâs Brad! Brad is like, Aaron is an asshole. Fuck him, letâs do this.
So they all line up and duke it out. A couple people die on the field. Dunk gets his ass beat at first, until he basically brute force body slams Aaron and drags his skinny ass out to the crowd and forces him to yield.
Yay Dunk wins! Heâs not gonna die! But heâs also really hurt so letâs go lay down in hospital tent. Dunk is like. I did it! I won. Brad, we did it! Youâre the best. Youâre my ride or die Brad!
And the Brad takes off his helmet to get some air after fighting his brother Mike in the ring. And his brain falls out the back of his skull and he dies. Just like Dan said.
So Dunk is like sad. I won the fight and got to keep all my limbs. But amazing, hot, heir to the throne Brad Breakspear died. This sucks. I suck. And while he is moping about it, Eggâs dad / Bradâs brother Mike shows up and is like
So listen. This sucks. You suck. Iâm a kinslayer and am 100% going to hell now. But also, my kid Egg loves you and wonât become a squire unless itâs you. So come live at my house and be a true knight for me and weâll put all of this behind us.
And Dunk is like⌠well. Thatâs great an all. But Aaron the asshole Brightflame is also your son. And he probably became a massive douchebag like that because heâs never experienced anything remotely close to hardship in his life. Letâs make sure that doesnât happen to Egg. Let me take him for a couple years and do the van life, wilderness survival training, gritty harsh reality, character building thing. Then weâll come back and do knight training at your house. Okay?
And Mike is likeâŚ. *leaves*
And Dunk is like, was worth a shot and goes to bed
The next day, Egg shows up and is like âMy dad says youâre stuck with me!â
And Dunk is like :) yay
And thatâs the story of The Hedge Knight according to me!
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first love // just pretend
đś just pretend by bad omens
(AU) Steve Harrington x fem!reader
[a/n]Â sorry this part is late, but it's here. The dinner scene will be released sometime next week so watch out for that :) also idk what's up with the links right now but you should be able to find all the previous parts at // pbs-firstlove
[warnings?]Â toxic behaviour, arguing, oblivious idiots in love, angst.
first love masterlist here!
The warmth of your bed seemed so much more inviting than the cool early morning breeze that made its way through the open window of your hotel room. The thought of spending time with Rebecca had you reverting you back to your childhood days, where youâd pretend to be sick to get out of school. Unfortunately for you there was no getting out of the day ahead, Rebecca going out of her way to cancel the original plans of visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral and booking a spa day instead.Â
A part of you was mad that she hadnât consulted with the rest of the group about the change of plans however, the broken hearted tired side needed a break and a spa day seemed like the ideal distraction, so with sleep still clouding your vision and reluctance running through your veins you eventually forced yourself out of bed, much to Robinâs dismay.Â
It was no secret she wasnât too interested in typically girly things, much preferring shorts over skirts and sneakers over heels, which in part you agreed, but the idea of getting half naked with a random persons hands all over you, that was step too far for her. Again you somewhat agreed but if you were being forced to go you sure as hell would be taking her down with you.Â
Steve had pulled you aside yesterday evening after the zoo trip, mentioning that Rebecca was feeling left out and pleading with you to help her feel welcome, as if you hadnât been trying to do that from the moment you first met her.Â
While youâd noticed the cold shoulder Robin and Eddie had given her, you had told them explicitly that you didnât want to get in the way of Steveâs relationship, if he liked her than it was to be respected. After all he was a grown up and he could decide what and who he did, as long as heâs happy who were you to say otherwise? But there were only so many digs you could take before you realised that regardless of Steveâs thoughts, you didnât have to like her, required you could at least tolerate her.
.¡ă.¡ăâ¡.¡âŤÂˇă¡ă.
The heat of the sauna clung to your body like a second skin, the stark contrast between the humidity in the air and the cold tiles of the floor had you halfway to heaven, even Robin could agree. The nostalgic feeling of being stuck in a never-ending lecture that just so happened to be the perfect temperature for a nap. In this case the lecture being Rebeccaâs non-stop talking about her perfect life, making it known to you that being left out was not the problem nor was lack of bonding, rather using it as an excuse to flaunt her wealth and status, attempting to prove that she was and would always be better than you.
It was times like this you were humbled greatly knowing that while you were cut from the same cloth she was (metaphorically) you saw the privilege and advantage your familyâs wealth could bring, but chose to deny it, not wanting to be swayed by the destruction and disease it brought. Instead deciding to pave your own way and work just as hard as anyone else to earn your living, even if it meant struggling would be inevitable.
No amount of wealth could dictate your happiness.
Steve used to believe that too.
âI found a ring in his pocket, can you believe it? Heâs definitely going to propose, I just know it I mean look at me, heâd be lucky to marry me.â The previous ramblings had gone over your head, it was almost unfortunate this one didnât.Â
The smirk plastered across her face was enough to fill you with dread, the images that youâd once pictured yourself in, now plagued with her and him. Theyâd only been dating a few months surely he wouldnât jump in so quickly? The only thought floating around your brain now being that he really did love her.
Not you.
.¡ă.¡ăâ¡.¡âŤÂˇă¡ă.
The smell of lavender and eucalyptus strangled your senses in a sort of comforting way, eyes almost watering at the thick scent that wafted through the air upon your arrival. Laying down on the padded beds, soft cotton hugging your skin as the masseuse got to work. Practically left in a catatonic state as the hour passed far too quickly for your liking and drew to a close, you knew you had to get back to reality sooner rather than later.Â
You had some time before you needed to meet the rest of the group for dinner, deciding to go for a walk and take in the scenery over staring at the four white walls of the hotel room that youâd got to know almost too well. It hadnât crossed your mind to let the others know where you were, assuming that everyone else would be going about their day as they pleased, so stuffing your phone away in the back pocket of your shorts and letting your legs take you wherever, oblivious to the panic that ran rampant in Steveâs mind.
.¡ă.¡ăâ¡.¡âŤÂˇă¡ă.
It had been hours since anyone had seen you, no messages or voicemails, the silence dragging on and on while Steve paced up and down the perimeter of his hotel room. He shouldâve noticed it sooner, he shouldâve known something like this would happen.Â
He knew you were mad at him and he knows he hurt you. The guilt lurking around in the back of his mind unable let him forget how shitty heâd been. All of this was his fault and instead of trying to fix the problem, heâd dug the hole deeper and deeper.
Rebecca was fuming, watching her boyfriend worry about another women when she was right in front of him but no amount of tantrums to take his mind of you. Sheâd insisted that you were doing this on purpose, lying through her teeth about the awful things youâd said to her, crocodile tears pouring down her cheeks in an attempt to shift his focus elsewhere.Â
This of course led to an argument with both of them spitting venomous words at each other, fighting fire with fire in an effort to not get burned. Unknown to them while they were busy arguing youâd long returned to your room and got ready, with Eddie and Robin in hand as you approached their door to travel to the restaurant together.Â
All of you unaware how quickly the evening would take a turn for the worse (or the better) depends on who's asking.
âââââââââââââââââ
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Taglist: @freezaz123
#stranger things imagine#stranger things fanfiction#stranger things#steve harrington#steve stranger things#steve harrington imagine#stranger things x reader#x reader#pbs-firstlove#steve harrington stranger things#steve imagine#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington angst#joe keery fanfiction#joe keery imagine#joe keery#steve the hair harrington#steve the king harrington#steve the babysitter#stranger things#stranger things fics#pbs-thedesecrated
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Mm. Girls.
--
At first it was just a light curiosity.
Heather had been lounging on the couch and scrolling through channels when Chrissy came home, a bag of yarn in her arms.
âWhereâd you get that from?â Heather asked her with an amused smile at Chrissyâs clear excitement. She pressed a kiss to her girlfriendâs cheek as Chrissy flops beside her, barely bouncing the couch.
âI passed by a yard sale and there was this bin full of just- Yarn? And the lady said it used to be her late grandmotherâs collection. She passed away, the poor woman, but nobody else in the family really knows how to crochet, which is what this is for,â Chrissy pulls out a maroon pouch, which she unzips to show Heather the neat row of hooks and needles, âAnd so they were just gonna sell it. And, well, I donât know either but then I saw they were also selling some hats and scarves and this whole sweater that this grandma had made and then I thought about how cute it would be to make you one-â Chrissy continued to ramble on and on, Heather listening to her with a small smile on her lips. She would support her little craving, and even if Chrissy just couldnât figure it out, Heather wouldnât stop her from trying anyways.
Since then, Chrissy had been learning the craft of crochet. She had borrowed a book from the library and spent a good afternoon just learning the absolutely basics such as chaining the yarn and getting a few single crochet stitches into it.
Oh, the absolute light that radiated from her face when she showed Heather that first single strip was enough to melt her heart.
âItâs looking great, firefly.â Heather told her, Chrissy beaming even more and getting back into it.
It didnât take long before Chrissy pumped out her first project, a simple red scarf. There was nothing particularly special about it, but by the way Chrissy had presented it to her on that October evening it was as if she was gifting Heather her heart.
In a way she was. Heather had accepted it, and refused to take it off the whole day, even though she never actually left the house. She even wore it in the bed, Chrissy cackling like mad when she threw the scarfâs end over her shoulder in bed, smacking her in the face.
It didnât take long before Chrissy spent all of her free time just creating new items for her and her friends. She made scarves for everyone they knew, and even a few hats. She learnt new stitches, and by the time December hit, everyone had a matching set of hats, scarves, mittens, and even a single wool sweater crop top thing.
Chrissy made that last one as a jest, but Steve seemed fine with having zero stomach protection. Heather thinks heâs weird for that.
Heather was more impressed she managed to figure out how to make a sweater â partway as it was â in such a short amount of time.
âI have all the time in the world to try,â Chrissy told her as she carefully stacked her new supply of yarn in the box that she designated the yarn box. That was another thing with her new hobby, the new skeins of yarn that Chrissy would come home with. Yarn was pretty expensive, and yet Chrissy always managed to find them for much cheaper at thrift shops or yard sales.
Once she even came home with sweaters just to unravel them for their yarn. Heather helped of course, not wanting Chrissy to just be suffering on her own.
Heather did end up with a nice blanket as thanks for helping, so it wasnât all that bad.
In February, their neighbour Robin had come with an idea for Chrissy. Maybe that was their downfall.
âYouâre pretty good at this. Maybe you should start a shop?â She said. They were just hanging out, Robin wearing the neon red bucket hat Chrissy had made for her. The rim of it was decorated with small stars that Robin had clipped on herself, her fingers messing with one of them.
âOh, but Iâm not sure. I mean, thereâs so many people who could do it better!â
âSo? Youâre great too, Cunningham! Besides, it would be nice side income.â
Heather snorted. âWhat, like what Harrington does?â
âEveryone likes his chocolate.â
âSteve stress bakes, Buckley. You just made him sell his stress for cold hard cash.â
âHey, not my fault his kids stress him out to the point of chocolate-induced income. Steveâs agreed to it, itâs fine! Otherwise I will get diabetes, Heather. Diabetes! Do you want be to have totally avoidable diabetes?â
Heather snorted again, louder. Robin smacks her in the arm for that, and the only reason she doesnât smack her back is because Chrissy did it for her.
âHey, no hitting my girlfriend.â
âWh- Oh but you can?!â
âGirlfriend protection rights.â Chrissy chirped, chest puffed out.
Heather was a bit proud of her for that one.
Robin rolled her eyes, continuing on. âWell, think about it. I can get you set up. Maybe Steve can sell some next to all his chocolate, as a test run?â
Chrissy had thought about it for a good 24 hours before she relented. She gave Robin a few extra hats she had made purely out of boredom, plus a few kid sized mittens that she churned out. It was just a test run, and if it failed it failed, no harm done.
Except it didnât.
Robin had come back from the market with a pile of cash, slapping it eagerly in Chrissyâs surprised hand.
âI told you! People totally loved your stuff!â Robin burst out. âSold every single one of them, so hereâs your earnings! Promise, I didnât try to steal any of it, this is all yours.â She patted Chrissyâs hand a few more times before running off like a headless chicken back to her house.
Heather had congratulated her for it, even though Chrissy was never physically there for the sales.
It still sparked a fire in Chrissy, as the next thing Heather knows, Chrissy is holding a box out full of items and dragging her to Steveâs car to head to the market.
It became a sort of passion project at that point, Chrissy always making whatever she could imagine. Extended past just clothing to household items, and even plushies when Chrissy got her little mitts on a book about crocheting toys.
Oh, the amount of toys Heather had come across in the house when Chrissy found out, it was insane.
Still, Chrissy was happy, and Heather was by her side, rubbing and massaging her hands.
âOh, youâre an angel, Heather.â Chrissy breathes out a sigh of relief.
âIâm just massaging your hands. You gotta take breaks, you know. Buck wonât mind if you skip a week or two.â
âI know, but itâs just- I love crocheting, making things for people. I feel bad if I have nothing to at least look at.â
âI know, babe. But donât break your hands doing it.â
âI wonât.â
âYou better not, or else Iâll eat them so you canât use them no more.â
âNooooâŚâ Chrissy devolves into giggles as Heather kisses her hands with a frantic love.
Chrissy loved her hobby, but she loved her girlfriend more.
#stranger things#stranger things 4#heather holloway#chrissy cunningham#robin buckley#cunningway#chrissy just devolving quietly into a yarn goblin and her supportive girlfriend
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My thoughts on Stranger Things S2 (E2-9)
I'm combining several posts from my drafts into one. After I would watch an episode or two, I would record my thoughts, which is why there's some predictions.
E2
My heart! My girl Nancy is suffering and the things she said to Steve at the party! I was so mad when that idiot left her alone, drunk at the party, thank goodness Jonathan was there (I ship them so much)
and poor El, being shut up and wanting connection with other people but Hopper is too scared to let her out. I totally understand both of them, its so sad
E3
My reaction to Dart, Dustin's new "pet": "No no no!! It's from the Upside Down! Kill it!"
When Dustin turned off the heat lamp because it was too hot. "No, no, no, burn the fricker! Kill it! Go get Will, he'll recognize it!!"
The scene when Dustin took the library books was hilarious."I need my paddles!" I died
Poor Will! The shadow thing attacked him, what's it doing to him?
Why is Dustin being so defensive about Dart, something that is clearly evil??
And poor El, seeing Mike with Max and getting jealous. I understand why she hurt her but I didn't like that she did it.
I have a suspicion about Bob. I don't trust him. I have a feeling that he told Will to stand his ground against the shadow monster in the Upside Down so it could possess him. Also he works with radios and tech so maybe he's connected to the lab?
E4
Dart is terrifying. It killed the cat and now its clearly a demogorgon.
Max's brother, Billy, scared me. They clearly have something going on in their family and I hated how he grabbed Max's wrist. Based on her reaction, maybe this isn't the first time someone has hurt her like that?
Why does Billy want Max to stay away from Lucas?
The fight Hopper and El had was awful and heartbreaking
E5
I'm glad Hopper is okay after going in the tunnel
When El reunited with her mom, and seeing her memories, that was so heartbreaking.
And when Will fell on the ground and started screaming because people from the lab were burning the tunnel, my heart broke.
I'm curious about what's going to happen with Steve and Dustin, that's a very chaotic duo.
E6
Where did the other demogragons come from??
Steve telling Dustin how to get girls was frickin hilarious, top tier comedy right there
So was the guy in the black beard, the conspiracy theorist reading Nancy and Jonathan like a book (I'm so glad they're a couple now)
I love Steve with the kids, its so funny and awesome to see him be so protective
E7
Kali (008) and her crew where interesting
I'm glad El / Jane is going back to the Hawkins
Overall, this wasn't my favorite episode
E8
I absolutely hate how that shadow monster is using Will. He's stripping him of his being and using him to trick the other characters and its horrifying.
I'm glad Will was still able to communicate with them
Bob's death I had been spoiled for but I wasn't expecting it to be so brutal and bloody and poor Joyce!
El's rescue at the end so cool!!
E9
The scene when they burn the monster out of Will was awful to watch. Seeing Joyce's determination to kill the thing that took Bob no matter what in contrast with Jonathan seeing only his brother being tortured was heart-breaking.
Seeing Billy's father explains a lot about his abusive behavior
The fight between Billy and Steve was epic and I loved it
I absolutely love Steve being with the kids and failing to try to stop them with their crazy plans. I hope this happens again in later seasons.
I loved when El closed the gate with Hopper, that was great
And the Snow Ball, I loved it, so wholesome and sweet!!
#stranger things#nancy wheeler#jonathan byers#steve harrington#joyce byers#will byers#eleven#jane hopper#lucas sinclair#max mayfield#billy hargrove#jim hopper#bob newby#dustin henderson#nerdygirlramblings
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Book Review: âDrums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordonâ by Joel Selvin
Tortured by his own brain and barely functioning, Jim Gordon still found comfort in music and by 1983 was playing in dingy clubs with a band called the Blue Monkeys.
The gigs were Gordonâs only normalcy in his world of deepening mental illness.
This moment before things fell apart serves as author Joel Selvinâs introduction to the drummer, who had once been the go-to session man in Los Angeles and was a former member of Derek & the Dominos and Traffic.
âEverybody knows how this story ends,â Selvin writes in the first chapter of âDrums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon.â It ends, of course, with the drummer murdering his mother, Osa Gordon, in 1983 after a career that established Jim Gordon as one of the most revered drummers in rock ânâ roll history.
Gordonâs tale is that of a gut-wrenching struggle with mental illness and stuff-of-dreams musical triumphs that veteran music journalist Selvin tells from an omniscient point of view, in the way Bob Woodward writes his political tomes, with citation saved for the notes and bibliography of the 302-page book.
With cooperation from surviving family members and former colleagues like Jim Keltner, Eric Clapton, Mike Post and others, Selvin paints a sympathetic picture of the Wrecking Crew drummer who struggled against the voices in his head as he recorded and toured with the Everly Brothers, the Beach Boys, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, George Harrison, Frank Zappa and others between stints in the aforementioned bands with Clapton and Steve Winwood. But while Gordon tamped down his emerging schizophrenia enough to engage in musical success, he also decked his then-girlfriend Rita Coolidge while the pair were on the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, committed other troubling acts of violence against women and engaged in behavior, such as speaking to people who were not present during recording sessions, that concerned his friends and family even as it left them at a loss of what to do.
Gordonâs career slowly dissolved as the 1970s turned to the 1980s and his grasp of reality grew more and more tenuous. Hospital stays and stints in rehab were unsuccessful at muting the voices that ultimately directed Gordon to kill his mother.
When they did, he listened. Gordon went to Osa Gordonâs house and murdered her with a hammer and butcher knife before heading out for a night of drinking. Police arrested a distraught Gordon, who confessed, the next morning.
He was sentenced to life in prison. Selvin ends the story in 1993 when Gordon and his fellow inmates are watching Clapton pick up a Grammy for his unplugged version of âLayla,â which Gordon was credited with co-writing.
âIâll be darned,â Gordon said.
A more-complete book wouldâve at least touched on the intervening 30 years, Gordonâs life behind bars and his 2023 death at 77. That said, âDemons & Drumsâ is the most-complete book on Gordon the world is likely to get and is worth the read. For despite its mildly sycophantic tone, and Gordonâs oft-horrendous behavior, Selvin has served up not only Gordonâs story but a fascinating history of the evolution of drumming and the 1970s music scene.
Grade card: âDrums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordonâ by Joel Selvin - B+
4/3/24
#jim gordon#joel selvin#drums & demons: the tragic journey of jim gordon#derek & the dominoes#traffic#jim keltner#eric clapton#mike post#the wrecking crew#the everly brothers#the beach boys#gordon lightfoot#joan baez#george harrison#frank zappa#rita coolidge#mad dogs & englishmen#the blue monkeys
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