#brotp: this is too far

[moonlightandromache]

(and you know) we're on each other's team

post 7x04 | buckley siblings | 525 words | also on ao3

“I kissed Tommy.”

Maddie, to her credit, does not choke on her coffee. She does however take way more of the hot beverage into her mouth than she intended and it burns as it goes down. 

“Or, uh, he kissed me and I—I kissed him back—because I liked it—liked kissing him. And we’re, uh, he’s picking me up Saturday—for a date.”

Maddie is aware that Buck is waiting for her to say something but her—looking for her approval brain is still trying to catch up, and all she can think to ask is— “Tommy?” 

“Yeah, y’know, uh, Kinard…” He trails off, staring at his hands.

Buck’s shoulders have hunched up and his entire posture is sinking in on itself in a way Maddie recognizes all too well, and—finally—her brain exits the loading screen it was stuck on. 

She reaches out to place a hand over his and feels him tense and then relax ever so slightly under her touch.

“Hey,” she says softly, waiting for him to meet her eyes, “I’m proud of you, this is a big thing to discover about yourself, and I’m so proud of you for embracing it. Thank you for telling me, Evan.” 

The tension drains from him completely, and Maddie gives his hands a gentle squeeze before retracting her hand.

“So, Tommy,” She leans back in her chair a bit and fixes him with her best inquisitive older sister gaze, “how’d that happen?”

“He came over to my apartment to, uh, apologize to me, actually, for ‘causing bad blood between me and Eddie’ which was—incredibly sweet but so backward because I was definitely the one causing any ‘bad blood’ with how stupid I’d been acting all ‘cause I was feeling jealous that Eddie was getting all his attention.” 

Maddie blinks, reminded why her brain had stalled out before, because—yeah, that was definitely not what she was expecting the follow up to her brother’s unusual behavior this past week to be.

“You were jealous—of Eddie?” 

Buck shrugs, “I mean, yeah, it explains why I was acting like a—and these are your own words—’fourteen year old girl.’”

“Right,” she studies him for a moment, he looks—at peace, in a way she’s not sure she’s ever seen him before, like a weight lifted from his shoulders. “And Tommy—he makes you happy?” 

“I mean all we’ve done is kiss and talk a little ‘cause he had to leave for a shift, but—yeah. I really liked kissing him, and I’m so excited for our date—like, I don’t think I’ve felt this excited about a date with someone since—since Abby.” 

Maddie softens, because for all her issues with Abby, she knows how important that relationship was to Buck. That this is important to Buck now. That the smile on his face is one she’s never saw when he was with Ali, or Taylor, or Natalia. 

That his happiness is something entirely genuine.

“Well, maybe just try avoid an emergency tracheotomy this time around?” 

Buck groans, burying his head in his hands, “I never should’ve told you about that.” 

[random-autie-fangirl]

Asriel's warning

Or...Asriel might actually know Chara is attached to Frisk, and why that adds another level of interest to his final conversation with Frisk

So just before his fight (and on the phone call) Asriel's line in English is "Are you there, Chara?" which does make sense when talking to an old friend with a new look in the sense of not being sure you're really seeing them...maybe? But in Japanese the line translates to “Can you hear me, Chara?” In both cases. And that is a lot more interesting because while it makes sense on the call it's certainly not something you say to an old friend face to face. In fact neither line sounds like Asriel’s directly talking to Chara or mistaking Frisk for them, it sounds more like he thinks Chara is invisible or immaterial but can be heard by speaking to Frisk which… isn't the same.

In fact in the murder run it's very clear that Asriel doesn't literally think Chara is Frisk presumably because they look different. Instead he seems to think that Chara is possessing frisk or has stolen their soul “Even more powerful than you and your stolen soul”. And I don't actually think that would have reason to change on a pacifist route…? All the logic that led Asriel there is the same, no matter the route cara still needs a vessel in order to come back (the way he's using a golden flower as a vessel) and Frisk still doesn't look like them. (I actually think Chara, Flowey and all of the amalgamates are the same class of being. Soulless spirits revived using determination. They have the classic =) smile, the meltiness, the ability to change shape and all are attached to another living being, even if Flowey isn't attached to anything sentient).

Of course a lot of people already know about Asriel talking to Chara when you reopen the game and definitively referring to frisk as a separate person! But what I think is really important to note here is how unsurprised he is to see Chara, to hear them or sense that they're still there somehow. It almost seems like he…already knew of their continued existence before this conversation.

Because of this it's become a theory for me and many other people to believe that actually Asriel got it mostly right and pretended not to. He correctly assumed that Chara must be possessing this weird little human vessel just like he was using the flower as a vessel (what he got wrong was assuming that Chara was always in control of Frisk and that Chara “you are above consequences” Dreemurr would want anything to do with him after learning he was Flowey).

Why did he never bother acknowledging Frisk before this? Probably because he didn't care about the vessel Chara was possessing compared to his literal best friend before the fight. And because he assumed that Chara was fully possessing Frisk the way they were trying to do to him rather than taking a back seat like they seem to be actually doing (That sadly makes a lot of sense from his perspective. Why would Chara care more about some random humans' autonomy than their best friends’?)

So the main point of this is that, keeping this in mind (him actually seeming to know that Chara is there and just not directly telling Frisk), A lot of the things he says to frisk in that final room with the golden flowers feel rather… pointed, there's a lot of things he just feels Frisk should know about Chara. Maybe he's not just trying to vent or work through his complicated emotions about Chara. Maybe he thinks he needs to tell Frisk these things. They would need to know all this about a future headmate, after all, even in the worst case scenario.

(Chara hated humanity. When I was sharing their body and we went up to the surface, they tried to force me to kill humans. Chara isn't the greatest person. Not everything up on the surface can be solved with pacifism and not everyone up there is very nice and …be careful, Frisk, please be careful). “There are a lot of Floweys up there”, technically the truth but given everything else he says, I think he might be thinking of one flowey parallel in particular.

Please note that he doesn't say that Chara is evil or that there is no way of salvaging this or that Frisk needs to get themselves to an exorcist or the lobotomist or whatever, I don't think he even believes that. He’s just saying be careful… Chara might have seemed nice until now but that doesn't mean that they might not still have ulterior motives when Frisk reaches the surface. In fact, I actually think this speaks volumes about how much he trusts Frisk. If anyone can talk Chara down, it's them, right? Frisk was even able to save him. I think he thinks and he hopes that frisk is going to be able to solve this problem but …he's just never sure.

One thing is for certain, Asriel obviously thinks of Chara’s hatred of humanity as still a problem to solve, he literally describes them in-game as the “one last threat” to the world's happy ending. Asriel does not trust Chara, Asriel does not actually think Chara is safe just yet, and however indirectly he is trying to get that across to them. Asriel is partially warning Frisk about Chara, and what he believes they still might be intending to do. Why isn't he directly mentioning this? I'm not quite sure…but well, after the buttercup plan… could you blame him for being scared? Or for wanting to maintain plausible deniability that he did not just insult Chara to their face and is definitely not going against or trying to sabotage them, no sir.

(You know, while this definitely recontextualizes Asriel’s grief, I don't think it cheapens it? After all, there are two ways you might need to let someone go: To accept they can't come back or accept that they're not worth chasing after. He’s still mourning the loss of that friendship, he’s still coming to terms with the fact that Chara was not nearly as kind as he thought they were. Chara will never come back to him, to help or to forgive or to comfort him, not because they can't but out of their own volition. Because Chara isn't a forgiving person.)

[xnarlie-starlightx]

Created: MaxJefferson from DeviantArt

When things just gets more complicated for Maxine and her feelings, they’re certainly not that simple for her to rapidly explain towards Chloe. Still gets unsettle how her childhood friend would’ve react while Chloe certainly won’t care about it at all because everyone deserves happiness. No needed for Maxine to had nervousness since from the start.

“Good morning, Mark” 😘/😊

[userlaylivia]

@clubglee, @makeyouminemp3, @maya-matlin

1x20 // 8x13

[carolmunson]

always something there to remind me (s.h.)

summary: ten years after the sealing of the upside-down, you and your fiance steve head to a cookout to unwind during memorial day weekend. with steve on edge after a rough half sleep full of night terrors, you hope the day can be salvaged by seeing the party and just relaxing, but a violent thunderstorm changes those plans for the worse. pairings: steve x reader, lumax, edancy. heavy on the steddie brotp tho.

tw: 18+ as always. this story deals with themes of mental illness and ptsd, it is only intended for mature audiences. descriptions of ptsd flashbacks, internal and external (please be advised they are dramatizations). partner violence (unintentional). drinking/smoking. discussions of mental illness. very moody steve but very soft steve. features some tense arguments. smut, like, very loving and passionate smut. this relationship is not perfect, it's also a depiction of a moment in time in 1997. the emotional load was very much a woman's job and i personally think steve would be 'too proud' to be 'too soft' about his stuff. so there are parts that seem kind of 'eh' but -- that's just how things were sorta. gif by @kingofscoops

His pill case sounded like a rattle when you took it from the medicine cabinet, taking it into the kitchen where he was shrugging on his freshly ironed polo. The ironing board and hot iron still set up by the counter. The black stone contrasted nicely against your cherry wood cabinets that he installed two summers ago. That was when you both thought he might be getting better: the night terrors were less and less frequent, the flashbacks far and few between, he was less tense, less irritable. Seeking you constantly for soft touches and kisses, any kind of affection he could pull from you he'd take willingly. Two years ago was your two year anniversary -- when he finally told you the real story. Why he had all those scars, why he can't sleep, why he wakes up in a cold sweat crying. Why you'd never been able to figure out which health care company was providing him with so much medication and therapy when he was working part time at the hospital -- it's because it was the FBI.

It was two years ago where they took you to an underground office where they told you everything. Steve sat next to you, gripping your hand so tightly you thought it might break. They reassured over and over that nothing was coming back, that everything was over, but that Steve and his friends will likely never recover emotionally and mentally from what they endured. Four years into things now, you were both his fiance and his nurse. You checked in monthly with his caseworking team, but in these last few months, they've had nothing but shaky reports. You wondered if maybe his mind just isn't as sharp as it used to be -- you both just entered your thirties, maybe things get knocked loose quicker when you've been to hell and back. "Here, honey," you say softly, putting his pill case on the table. He looks at them and sighs, amber eyes lingering on the 'Saturday' section of the pill box. "Let me get you some wa--" "You don't need to give me my pills every day," he says -- it's soft and sharp, "I know I have to take them. I've been takin' them for ten years."

You offer him a tight smile, "I know, Stevie..." You trail off. 'It's important that he feels in control of the situation, a lot of his role when he was in this situation was to protect others. Try not to baby him about it, he might be fragile, but he doesn't like to feel like he is.'

"It's just...I don't want a repeat of last year," you quietly remind him. He had gotten too sure of himself when he started to feel better -- missing days, stopping altogether, off and on.

He reaches for the pill case and pops open the Saturday square, tossing the main five pills into his palm and then into his mouth. Pain, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, migraine, blood thinner. The heavy stuff sat in the cabinet above the fridge: Quaaludes, Oxycontin, Sumatriptan, Clozapine -- among others. Every day was a reminder to him that he didn't come out of this a stronger person. His dad let him know that at every visit, treating him like he had a son made of glass. "Don't," he says after he swallows, "Don't start with me."

Your eyes narrow in on the finger he puts up in warning and travels down to his big hand, a vein popping in his forearm and under the band of his watch. His bicep flexes against his polo, you follow it across the expanse of his chest and down the other arm, landing back on the pill case.

You knew last night what kind of day it would be this morning. Desperate reaches for you while he woke up from another nightmare, his damp chest up against yours while he hid his face in your neck. He hugs you so tightly to him so he doesn't float away, and you match his strength as best you can until he falls back asleep. Sometimes it takes hours of stroking his hair and soothing him before he feels safe enough to even close his eyes. In the years you've been together, he's been more and more embarrassed over these needier nights. 'It's just, baby -- I'm a man. I have to get over all this shit.'

"I'm not starting anyth--" "You are," he warns, eyes narrowing. He clenches his jaw, "Don't."

"M'sorry," you breath out. You take the pill case when he sets it back down and bring it back upstairs to the main bathroom. You refill the case before placing it back in the medicine cabinet with a sigh. When it closes you look at yourself in the mirror, no longer the fresh 26 year old he met at the hospital admin desk when he started his part time job as an assistant in the children's psych floor. Gaining hours towards getting his pediatric therapist licensure to help kids who were like him and his friends -- well, sort of. To some extent. You smooth over your button down dress, his favorite one in your closet -- navy blue with beige flowers littering the fabric. It flounces over you in dips and swoops, falling just under your knee. Another sigh and you grab your purse from the bedroom and slip on your sandals, clip clopping down the stairs where you hear him grab the keys. Another Saturday morning where the group gets together and just hangs out, even though Steve sees Eddie, Rob, and Dustin pretty often throughout the week. They've been doing it for years now, but the outside buzzed with the promise of summer, Memorial Day weekend making everyone feel more at ease. Everyone except Steve.

He slams the car door when he gets in the drivers seat, making you jump in the leather of his Lexus. He runs his hands over his jean clad thighs, having grown in size over the last six years with age and trips to the gym. 'I just wanna be in like, peak physical condition if anything tries to come back. I wanna be more ready than when I was a kid, y'know?' And while the muscle was certainly titilating, it made for a very wary you when things went left. "Don't be like that, Stevie," you say softly, your voice calm and gentle like it is with patients on the floor, "I promise I wasn't trying to get on your case. Do you -- I don't know, do you wanna just stay home?" "No," he snaps, looking ahead toward the road as he starts the car, "I didn't pack a cooler full of all the shit you made for this cook-out just the stay home." "Can you relax?" you ask a little harsher than you planned, "Are you even good to drive?" "I'm good. To drive," he says through gritted teeth, pulling down the street. "Are you sure? 'Cause -- Honey you -- you didn't sleep so good last night and I --" He hits the breaks hard, stopping short at a stop light turning to look at you, tilting his head a bit to glare at you down the slope of his straight nose.

"Drop it," he says, the tenseness in his voice sends a chill up your spine. "Stevie I'm not trying t --" "Drop. It." he warns again, "Don't make me raise my voice at you." "Don't talk to me like that," you say sharply while he pulls the car forward when the light turns green. "Then don't talk to me like I'm a fucking child," he snaps back. "Well maybe if you didn't have an attitude with me like one I wouldn't have to," you cross your arms over your seat belt and huff. He shakes his head slowly, tongue tight between his teeth. He thought he knew better than to fall in love with someone who had a tongue as sharp as his. "You're askin' for an argument when you say shit like that to me," he says lowly, the Lexus crunching over helicopter seeds while he navigates through the neighborhood. You see his shoulders rise and fall while he attempts to steady himself -- fuse lit and ready to blow. "I'm sorry," you follow up, a deep breath filling your chest. You uncross your arms to lean your elbow on the edge of the window, resting your cheek in your hand, "I didn't mean that." "You did," he responds, tight and frustrated, quiet. He hastily reaches into his back pocket with one hand, eyes still on the road. Steve pops a cigarette between his full lips and you sigh at the sound of the lighter flicking. “What’s wrong now, hm?” he asks while the cigarette dangles from the corner of his mouth, “What’s your problem?” “Nothing,” you say – it’s something. He takes a drag and blows the smoke out the open window, “It’s just that you bought that pack yesterday and it’s already half way gone. You always chain smoke when you –” “Give me a fucking break,” he snaps, voice raising with each word, “God, can you let me have fuckin’ anything?” “No Steve, I guess not. God forbid I look out for your heal–” you start sarcastically. “Look out for yourself, baby,” he says sharply into the rearview so you can see his glare, “I’m doin’ just fine without you on my back.” You bicker the rest of the way to Ed and Nancy’s house, he only raises his voice one more time. 

Eddie and Nancy's wedding was one for the ages, something about the mixture of straight laced and all over the place that made sense when they tied the knot. The pair, you were told, seemed unlikely until Eddie was in recovery after being removed from the Upside Down. He was down there for six months, tested on for another six. The Party and the older kids would visit him every day, keeping him updated and fed and hydrated. They'd cheer him on when he made advances in his mobility -- but for the most part he just needed rest. Nancy was working a lot, throwing herself into journalism like she always wanted, so she'd come to the hospital late. She wasn't really one for small talk so instead, she'd just read. She'd read aloud while he was asleep, her voice slow and calm -- stoic. Keeping him lulled like still water, she didn't even know if he knew she was there. One night, she picked up where she left off on the first installment of Lord of the Rings, continuing in her soft stoic voice. She watched him lay there with his eyes closed, breath steady, the beeps of the hospital machines in quiet rhythm with him. She at frist felt silly before she started, but maybe in his dreams he could hear her, and maybe just maybe if she does something fun, he won't have nightmares tonight. So she tries it...she puts on a silly voice for Samwise, and she continues with her silly voices. Gruff and manly for Aragorn, gleeful for Sam, some weird form of Scottish for Gimli. She bites her lip, smiling as she tries each one, shaking her curly head at her ridiculousness and stops. Then she hears it...the low rumbling giggle from Eddie in his hospital bed. "Keep going, it's funny..." he said with a grin, eyes still closed. "You can hear me?" she asked, trying to stifle her giggle. "I can hear you every night," he said, eyes peering open slightly, "It's the best." "Do you want me to keep reading?" she asked with a blush. He nods, a soft grin pulling up on his lips while he eyes closes again, "Only if you do the voices."

When you park in the driveway it's clear that the rest of the group arrived before you, their cars already Tetris'd into their places. Steve lugs the cooler out of the back seat with a grunt, hoisting it to rest on his broad shoulder. You roll your eyes at his machismo, like someone is watching him at all times and he has something to prove. You both walk to the back, the sounds of music and conversation and laughter bubbling louder and louder as you get to the gate of the yard.

A symphony of 'Heeeyyy!' and 'There he is!' and 'Finally!' come from the group as he opens the gate and you follow in toe. Eddie comes over quickly to help with the cooler, his hair still as long as it was when he was 20 – the only real updates being his five o’clock shadow and the ring in his nose. A few more weary tired lines by his eyes. His home made Iron Maiden muscle tee had a small sweat mark by the neckline – they must’ve been out here getting ready all morning. “Hey man,” he grins when the cooler gets set down, pulling Steve in for a tight hug. “Hey,” Steve smiles, patting his back hard, savoring the hold. “You alright?” Eddie asks when he lets go, putting a hand to his face, “You feeling okay?” Steve smiles tightly and nods but Eddie only half buys it, returning his look before turning to you. He comes forward, kissing both your cheeks with his full lips, scruff scratching at your skin, “Hi, sweetheart.” “Hi Ed,” you grin, watching everyone else come up to say their hellos. “Where’s Nance?” Steve asks, but his question is answered when she waddles out of the sliding door of the kitchen with a pitcher of lemonade. From the back, you’d have no idea she was seven months pregnant, but from the side – let’s just say, it was gonna be a real big boy. “Honey, what did I say?” Eddie calls out, walking over to her and taking the pitcher. “It’s not even heavy,” she chides back with an exasperated eye roll. You giggle at their bickering, listening to their sweet back and forth with a gentle ache in your chest. You wonder if Steve will be the same way when you’re pregnant. You wonder if the back and forths will sound so sweet, so innocent, so soft. Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the cooler opening, turning to look and grab what you can to put in the fridge inside. Steve takes the meat out to put by the grill and a few appetizers that you put together last nice. You take the icebox cake and chocolate covered strawberries, hurrying with them through the sliding door into the kitchen. “I know, mommy just thinks she can do it all,” Eddie coos, resting his hands on Nancy’s stomach while she slices cheeseburger toppings on the counter, “She just won’t rest, are you gonna be like that too? You gonna run me ragged? You gonna be just like mommy?” Nancy laughs and it’s half airy, half from deep in her belly, “Look, it’s just better if I’m active so that I’m not surprised by it when he’s born.” “I know,” he says, kissing her cheek, “I know. You still love me, Wheeler?” “Love you always,” she grins, blushing when she sees you come in with desserts, “Oh! Oh my goodness, let me help you!” “I got it!” you say, “Just hope there’s room in the fridge!” When everything’s loaded up you give each other a hug, watching as Eddie and Steve have a mildly stern conversation about who is grilling what. ‘It’s my grill.’  ‘And? It’s my meat.’ 

“Do you think they should just kiss?” you ask while you watch them. “Honestly, I feel like they need to at this point," she laughs, "Go on outside, I’ll be out in a few,” Nancy encourages and you make your way back out into the very early summer heat – mugginess starting to soak the air around you. Before you know it, you’re already being pulled over to the picnic table to watch a game of Magic the Gathering between Lucas, Max, Dustin, Mike, and Will. El doesn’t come back to Hawkins very much,so you’ve been told – she’s the only person from the group you haven’t met. “So is this like D&D?” you ask, resting your cheek against your palm while you lean on the table. “Yes and no,” Max explains, looking at her options, “It’s like…” “Like poker but D&D,” Dustin says, making Mike, Will, and Lucas snort. “I think that’s the easiest way to explain it to you,” Mike says. “I trust that,” you laugh with them. You’ve been consistently hopeless with trying to learn the mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons but still enjoy watching, loving it more when Steve decides to join a campaign. He lets loose in ways you’ve never seen when he does, smiling and laughing, free like a child in the summertime. The sun beating on your back suddenly disappears when you hear Steve come up behind you with a hand on your shoulder, “Can I have my glasses, honey?” “They’re in the glove box,” you say, turning around, “Why do you need them?” “Oh, is Erica making you read her thesis outline?” Lucas asks, “Just tell her to buzz off. She already passed it in.” “Sinclair – don’t be an asshole,” Steve gives him a look that can only be described as ‘bitchy’, “She wants some assurance. We need another psychologist in the family, and she’s obviously the only one smart enough to get it done.” “Rude,” Max deadpans, flicking her eyes up at him. “You’re rude, twerp,” he says back, he turns back to you after sucking his teeth, "My glasses?"

“I just said, in the glovebox,” you repeat, a little sharper than you meant to. He lets out a huff through his nose, looking at you like he can’t believe you’d get snippy with him before stomping off toward the gate of the yard. “Is he alright?” Dustin asks quietly, “I saw him on Thursday he just…I don’t know, he seems a little tense.” “He had a bad night,” you explain, toying at a splinter in the wood, “He’ll be okay.” The sun disappears again but not from the expanse of your fiance’s shoulders and chest, but from a thick cloud moving slowly across the sky. The relief from the heat is almost welcomed until you feel the humidity raise a bit in the air – a little too tight, a little too suffocating for your taste. 

The party is in full swing while Meredith Brooks’ ‘Bitch,’ blares from the boom box, Nancy and Max screaming the lyrics with abandon while the boys groan. You smile at how much fun they’re having, the afternoon going smoothly enough that you haven’t had time to notice how cloudy the sky had become. Your eyes linger on Steve, glasses on while looking at Erica’s thesis outline with her on the back porch. He had a pen in one hand and a cigarette in the other, the fifth one in the last hour and a half.  "You got something here," he says to her, tapping his pen while continues reading, "Your argument's really strong -- especially about the rates of homelessness, it's almost always trauma related." "Well -- I am me," she says. He raises his brows and nods in agreement. "Can't spell America without Erica," he teases. You watch him, how gentle he is and how he taps through outline, asking her questions about how she feels about the finished thesis, where she got it bound, if the articles he sent over were helpful. They speak in words you don't understand, but it's okay -- he looks calmer, brows softened while they talk, so encouraging. "I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint, I do not feel ashamed --"

Eddie's rasp pierces the groups singing and conversation as he belts the lyrics next to his wife. Everyone looks up to watch him go, laughing as he does. "We should cover this," he grins, "Me and the guys, we gotta cover this at the next show." "So you can get boo'd off the stage?" Mike laughs. "So I can make sure your ass doesn't get in the bar?" he asks back. Mike scowls while Dustin laughs at him -- it's always smarter to not try it with Eddie, he'd always get you back ten fold. With a jolt, you feel something cold hit your hand, looking down to see a water drop splat against your skin. Then another, and another, and another. After the fourth or fifth, the rain starts to come down -- and then it starts to pour. "Alright!" Nancy calls, "Everyone grab something and head inside." The Party rises, wincing as the rain pellets down on them while everyone grabs a foil tray or covered Pyrex filled with food. You follow suit, hurrying inside with the undressed cheeseburgers and buns, laying them safe on the counter in the kitchen. Everyone else starts to file in, Steve and Eddie turning off the grill while the sky starts to darken significantly. The first rumble of thunder sends everyone's face to a flat line -- you wished Robin wasn't spending the weekend in New York City so that you'd have someone on the front lines with you and Nancy to keep everyone at ease. Nancy and Robin definitely had their moments but had a much tighter grasp on the world around them now.

A few flashes of lightening crack followed by deep rumbles of thunder. Boom, crack! Boom, crack, crack! You notice everyone resettle themselves around the kitchen table -- jittery, quiet. You sit down across from Steve while he looks down, following the woodgrain with his finger. You keep your gaze on his chest, watching for a tell -- he swallows the frustration he feels from having your eyes on him. "It's alright guys, just a storm," Nancy reminds everyone gently while she brings in the last of the food from outside. Eddie gets her seated before opening things back on the counter, the kitchen smelling like barbecue while he opens the foils. The conversations start around you again while you sit across from Steve, the tension sitting like a weighted stone in your chest. Another flash of lightning and that's when you notice it, the twitch of his hand. The thunder rumbles and he reaches up to rub his eyes with his thumb and forefinger under his glasses. Shit. "You okay, honey?" you ask him softly. He swallows, jaw clenching, "Mhm." "Okay," you nod, trying not to bring attention to it just yet, just incase it passes. The thunder booms again and he lets out a breath through his nose, he takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes more agressively. You tap your foot under the table and he can hear it, he can hear everything in the room -- the scrapes of foil on foil. The separate conversations. Eddie's laugh while he talks to Nancy. The clinks of silverware. Ice in cups. The drumming of fingers. Your tap. Tap. Tap. Tapping. Under the fucking table could you just stop tapping your fucking foot -- The next crack of lightening is so intense it shakes the house and everyone gets quiet. 'Just a storm', Nancy reminds, but her voice sounds far away. Thunder rumbles again in the distance and he swears when the lightening flashes through the windows it's red. He rubs his eyes again, a short burst of breath coming through his nose. 'Honey?' he hears you but its like he has cotton in his ears. The thunder rumbles again, the slick squelching of vines starts to creep into the sound of it. Another crack of lighting and the lights in the kitchen flicker. But when they turn back on Steve isn't with the group anymore. He's not even in the kitchen. He's back at the Creel House. 'Baby? Steve?' your voice is distant -- does Vecna have you? Did he find you? Is he taking you away from him? Steve whimpers, getting out of the chair, pulling at the roots of his light brown locks -- desperate to pull himself out of the memory, "Help, please..."

"I'm here, Steve," you say rounding the table while the rest of the group stands back, getting ready to help. Max grabs a boom box and Lucas runs to his car to grab his tapes with everyone's favorite songs on it -- just in case. Dustin approaches him slowly, hands out in front of him while Steve shrinks to the floor, back against the cabinets. "Steve, it's me, it's Dustin," he says calmly and slowly, "You're in Eddie's kitchen, Steve." But Steve only hears Dustin saying his name -- Dustin must be in trouble. "I'm coming," Steve says, eyes shut tight, falling further away. You watch as sweat grows on his hair line and neck, muttering a fuck under you breath. This was gonna be a bad one. "Honey, honey," you continue, kneeling down in front of him to ease his hands off of his hair, "You're okay, you're safe. I'm with you." 'Honey.' He hears your voice in the distance, searching for you in the blue black haze of the Upside Down, the thick particles of dust in his eyes. The slither of vines covers the walls and the floors while he ascends the stairs -- where are Nancy and Robin? Weren't they with him? "Nance?" You watch him call out for Nancy and she goes to get up but Eddie puts his hand delicately on her shoulder. He shakes his head no at her, "Just talk to him," he says to her. 'I'm here, Steve, it's okay!' 'It's okay!' But it's not Nancy's voice, it gets more an more deep, more gravelly, more like him. Steve flinches in front of you, soft 'no, no, no's slipping from his mouth. 'Stevie...' Where are you? Does he have you? 'S̷T̴E̶V̴I̷E̵.'

The sound of Vecna's voice booms in his ears, the thunder rumbling, the red lighting flashing to light up the house. You were never here -- Vecna tricked him. He breathes hard, looking around while the vines snake around, searching for him. "Okay, okay baby," you say hurriedly, watching him while he starts to hyperventilate. You raise your voice to get through to him, "Honey you gotta take some deep breaths for me, okay? Can you hear me?" Max and Lucas come back, smacking the tape into the radio and fastforwarding until Marc Cohn's Walking In Memphis crackles through the speakers. They both heave breaths while the song plays, leaning over the table to settle down from running. "You hear the song, honey?" you ask, "Can you hear it? Talk to me, Steve." You reach your hands up, sliding slowly up his chest to rest your hands by his jaw in a soothing touch. But for Steve in the Creel House, the vines have found him, slithering up his chest and around his neck, tighter and tighter against the wall. He tenses, big hands coming up and grabbing your wrists with a grip so tight you whimper. "No, shit, shit, shit! Fuck! STOP! NO! I CAN'T!" he panics, gasping for breath while his nails dig into your forearms and drag painfully downward why he tries to pull you away. "Ow, ow baby, hey, you're hurting me," you yelp out. He doesn't stop, eyes switching from tightly closed to open and unfocused while he reaches up to your biceps, clawing at them in defense. You reach out a final time. "Honey, honey, please, it's me," you say, tears balancing on your lower lashes while he rises, taking you with him. He handles you real rough, grabbing you by the shoulders and throwing you to the ground with a loud thud. And god does it hurt.

"HEY!" Eddie's voice booms out, gruff and loud like the rumbles of thunder outside. He gets behind Steve, pulling his arms close to his chest while Steve struggles against him. Erica and Mike hurry toward you to help you slowly up off the floor. You reel at first, wanting to run back to him. "Stay in front of her Wheeler," Ed warns, "You all stay right there." You stand behind Mike with Erica who takes your hand tightly in hers. You feel the pulse of pain in your arms when you look down -- gouges and deep scrapes, the blood shines in the line of the kitchen. You shake your head out of it and watch on as Eddie and Dustin do what they can to help -- the song continues to play in the background. "No, no," Steve whimpers, twisting his wrists in Eddie's grasp to break free, but in this state Eddie is stronger. He pulls him close, Steve back to his chest while they sink back down against the cabinets. "Shh," Eddie soothes, still holding him tight, "We got you, just listen -- you're in my kitchen. You hear the song playing?" Steve grunts, thrashing while Eddie hugs him tighter to him. "Steve, listen, listen to the song," Dustin says, "Focus on me and Eddie's voice, listen." Steve struggles, less intense than before, "Shh, shh, it's okay Harrington," Eddie soothes, rocking him slowly back and forth. "They need me," Steve cries weakly, breaths slowing while he pulls again at Eddie's hold, "Gotta save 'em..." "Steve," Dustin says again, getting closer. He rubs his shoulder slowly, pressing his thumb into the joint, "We're safe, all the kids are safe." "Safe..." he repeats back. Eddie sighs a little in apprehensive relief, letting go of one wrist to run a hand over his head, turning Steve's face into his chest and holding him close. "That's right, Steve," Eddie says softly, "Safe." 'Saw the ghost of Elvis, on Union Avenue, Followed him up to the Gates of Graceland And they watched him walk right through...' Steve can hear the lyrics, warbled and tinny in the Upside Down. 'Safe, safe, safe.' Echoing through the walls -- it gets dimmer. 'Now security they did not see him, They just hovered round his tomb...' Dimmer and dimmer. 'Almost over buddy, I can tell, we're right here. You feel Henderson?' A soft warm rub on his shoulder, the lyrics to the song, Eddie's voice. The sound of vines fade away, he hears the rain, it fades to black. "Walkin' in Memphis..." Steve whispers, half confused, while his eyes open and focus -- squinting in the light of the kitchen. Overwhelmed he looks around while the room tilts on it's axis. He grips Eddie's leg tightly to steady himself, he's breaths picking up again. "It's okay buddy, it's just us," Eddie says again, "You with me?" Steve nods, face cracking while he lets out a broken sob. You can only watch while Eddie flicks his eyes up at you in another warning to not come closer yet. Dustin let's go while Eddie starts to hoist him up, wrapping Steve's arm around his shoulder while he helps him to the guest room down the hall. "C'mon big boy," he says gently, "Let's get you some rest."

Things feel a little quiet after Eddie comes back from the guest room, he's tense -- no longer having fun the way he was before. His eyes are dark while he heads outside into the rain to have a cigarette. Lucas turns off the stereo and The Party sits back down at the kitchen table for a moment to decompress. They silently take out of the Magic the Gathering cards and start to set up again, Erica joins them seamlessly. When things seems a semblance of stable, Nancy gets up and takes your hand and leads you to the bathroom, "Let's check you out, alright?"

You sit on the toilet seat cover while Nancy takes out a first aid kit from under the sink. You listen while she hums the climax of Whitney's 'I Have Nothing' quietly, searching the medicine cabinet for some Bactine for your cuts.

"Are you okay?" she asks, taking both of your hands to outstretch your arms, she turns them to see the damage -- she tries to hide her face of disappointment but it's clear.

"I'll be fine," you say softly while she wipes down the gouges and scrapes, "I can take care of it Nance."

"No, you just -- just let me," she says softly. The Bactine stings -- so does the way she looks at you -- pitifully. You hear Eddie's boots clomp down the hallway before he shows up at the door frame of the bathroom.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asks -- you wish people would stop asking. They only ask when they see him lose control. You do this all the time, you take care of him all the time.

"I'm okay," you repeat, "A little banged up, but y'know. It's okay."

"Does he do that alot?" Eddie asks, his jaw clenching, "Does he hurt you a lot?"

"This is one of maybe...I don't know -- four times he's gotten physical with me during an episode," you explain, "And you all know about them."

"Does he hurt you when he's here?" Eddie asks, tapping at his temple.

"No, Ed, don't be ridiculous," you sigh, exasperated that he'd even ask.

"Steve's not like that, Eddie," Nancy says, "We've been over this." "Well, here's the thing Nance," he starts, tense, "We're ten years out of this shit and no matter how bad my shit got I've never put a hand on you like that. Ever." "Eddie --" "No, no, listen," he says, "I don't like that, and I especially don't like that happening in my house in front of my pregnant wife." "And what would you like me to do about it, Ed?" you snap, "I can't -- fuck -- I can't fucking fix him for you." "I'm not asking you to fix him," he says back, a pain deep in his chest coming through with his voice, "I'm asking you to be sure that you still want to be a part of this -- your wedding's what -- October? You really wanna be worrying about this?" "For better or for worse, right?" you ask back, choking on the lump in your throat, "That's the promise." Eddie tucks his lips in, his own eyes getting teary while he scans the gouges that Nancy carefully puts bandaids over. "Ice your hip and shoulder for the first couple days," he mutters, biting the edge of his them, "After a fall like that. Then heat." You nod, quietly murmuring a thank you. "S'what my mom used to do," he says under his breath. Eddie scans you slowly one more time, swallowing hard before pushing off the door frame and walking back down the hall. You hear their bedroom door click closed in the distance. "You know how he gets," Nancy says, "Stuff like that y'know -- that's hard for him." "I know." She takes a washcloth, running it under cold water before squeezing it out. Droplets fall on the fabric of her light purple maternity shirt, leaving dark people marks on the top of her belly. She hands it to you. "Here, for his head," she says softly, "In case he's not all the way back yet."

You creep slowly into the guest room, seeing him laying on his stomach with half his face buried in the pillow. His sculpted arms tucked under it to give him something to hold. "Baby?" you ask quietly, "You awake?" He nods with his eyes closed and you look him over -- big hulking man who needs to be held. He hates it but you can't help but love him for knowing he needs it. You put the wet face cloth on the side table, sliding down next to him while he moves over to his side. In one swift motion you've replaced the pillow -- arms wrapping tight around your waist and up your back, one hand molding over your shoulder. He hides his face in your neck and you can feel his tears on his lashes and cheeks. His shoulders shake while he cries for a while, cold sweat damp on his shirt and the back of his neck. You never check how long he cries for – as long as he does. “I’m here,” you say softly, nails grazing his scalp in a steady swipe, “I’m right here.” You adjust a bit in his hold and you feel his grip tighten slightly, a soft whine of desperation leaking from his throat. “Don’t go, please,” he begs softly. “M’not going anywhere big guy,” you soothe, “This wedding’s already put us ten grand in the hole. Where would I even go, now?” You hear a soft ‘tsss’ come out of him, a tug of a smile against the skin of your neck where he hides. 

“Oh, is that funny?” you joke, still coasting your fingers through his hair. He groans, letting his arms let go of you so he can sit up, you can see the tension in his body still. Steve looks down at you with tear stained cheeks and tired eyes, beckoning you forward with his fingers. You sit up for your thank you kiss, his warm palm cupping your cheek while he holds you gently in place. He kisses once slowly, then twice, three times – holding the last so you know he means it. When you break away he rests his forehead against yours, offering a few shallow breaths. You stand up off the bed while he sits off the edge of it, standing between his thighs. 

"Did I hurt you?" he asks softly. He asks after every episode ever since he did hurt you back when you first started dating. A swift smack to the arm that stung for a solid twenty minutes afterward with the amount of power he put into it. It welted. He cried for hours. He wrote you love letters every day for a week. 

You nod, showing him the scratches and bandages on your arms, "I think you thought I was a vine or something. You threw me. Like, to the ground. It was pretty hard."

His lower lip quivers, "No, no, no." “No, Steve,” you assure, trying to calm him, “It’s okay, you didn’t know. It’s alright, I’m alright. It was an accident.” 

His face contorts while the tears start again, his big hands reach out to your waist, pulling you close to him, "It's not okay, it's not alright."

His voice raises an octave while he cries, "I'm sorry, baby."

"It's okay, Stevie, shh," you whisper to him, he pulls you in tighter, body shaking while pressing his nose against your cheek.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he cries, sniffling, "You know I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't," you say back, your own cry getting caught in your throat. He sniffles again, leaning back to face you, both of his hands cupping your cheeks, his thumbs rubbing the apples.

"I love you," he says with a depth and intensity that makes the lump in your throat give way. You cry with him and it breaks his heart, "I love you so much honey, you know I’d never…"

You nod, trying to calm your cry the way he was able to calm his -- so used to swallowing it up even though you'd beg him not to.

"I – shit – I have to tell you something," he says softly, hands sliding from your cheeks back down to your waist and then your hips. He looks down at the small triangle of mattress between you and the apex of his thighs.

"What's up, Steve?" you ask, running your hands through his hair again soothingly, "What is it?"

He lifts his head up, eyes shutting at the comforting touch, but when he opens them he looks defeated -- guilty, "I haven't been taking my meds at night. I was -- was flushin’ them cause I just -- baby, I don't know. I can't keep depending on this shit."

"Steve."

"I know," he nods, "I know...That's why -- that's why my shit's getting worse."

"You're not just taking this stuff to take it," you say, cupping his cheeks, "It's to keep you here. It's to keep you with me."

"I know," he repeats, voice cracking again, "I'll call my shrink tomorrow I promise. I'll get back on track. Fuck -- I'm sorry -- and I'm -- I'm sorry I was so mean to you this morning."

"It's okay," you nod, pressing a kiss to his forehead. You drop your hands and rub his shoulder, "I think we should go home, alright? We can get on the couch for the night and just rest."

"Okay," he says quietly, nodding. He slowly gets up off the bed, a little dizzy, using you for support. You both slowly walk out of the bedroom, Nancy peeking around the end of the hall.

"Everything good?" she asks.

You smile at her, "Yeah, I think we're gonna head home."

She smiles tightly, heading into the kitchen where the rest of the group still sits, eating and talking. Their heads turn when you both come into view -- soft eyes and smiles.

"I'm okay, guys," Steve nods, barely able to meet their gazes, "It's fine."

Nancy approaches you with a few tupperwares filled with food and dessert, "We'll get the cooler back to you on Tuesday."

"Don't worry about it," you smile, gathering the tupperware in your arms. You watch as the group gets up one by one to give Steve a hug goodbye. Their movements are slow and controlled, warning touches on his shoulders beforehand to remind him ‘It’s just me, it’s just my arms, I’m hugging you’. Soft mumbled words of support, nothing too loud – don’t startle each other. Wraiths of the friendship they all shared earlier. Rehearsed reactions to all of their sensitive needs – if you’ve seen one episode, you’ve seen all of theirs. And you had, once or twice. “I’ll get a copy bound for you,” Erica says while she hugs him. “You make me so proud, Sinclair,” he smiles. Nancy walks you both to the door and you turn, “How’s Ed?” “He’ll call later,” she nods, a look behind her eyes that matches yours. You hug goodbye, share quick reminders about food for the baby shower and a few crafty decoration plans before heading to the car with a very tired Steve. The rain patters on the hood of the Lexus while you both sit in the leather interior, this time with you in the driver's seat. He rubs at his temples with his eyes closed while you rifle through your purse for a sandwich baggie of emergency migraine medicine. “Here,” you say, handing him the pill, “Before it starts to get bad.” “Hmm,” he grumbles in agreement, popping it in his dry mouth to suck it down.  “We’ll be home soon, okay?” you say, hand coming down on his thigh reassuringly, “Just close your eyes for now.” 

He takes the tupperwares when you get out of the car, fishing his keys out of his back pocket while he does. His strides are long while you hurry up behind him, following him into the house only to bump into his back while he’s stopped by the thermostat to turn on the air. “Sorry,” you say softly. “S’okay,” he replies back, barely above a whisper. He puts the food in the fridge while you head upstairs to start a shower, a ritual you’ve both come to learn well after days or nights like these. You take out the good soap, the shower oil, all the aroma therapy you can to get him to ease up. Anyone else watching you get things ready would assume it was about to be a very sexy time for you. On the same coin, these showers are probably the most intimate moments you have with each other. He comes in as the room starts to steam and you help him ease off his polo, you start on the buttons of your dress while he takes off his jeans and socks. He helps with your bra, both of you shedding your underwear at the same time before you step in. Steve soothes almost instantly, his muscles relaxing under the hot stream, sighing further while he gets soaped up. You don’t have to be in there with him, but you do. He needs you so close so he doesn’t float away. His favorite part comes near the end, sitting in the flow of the shower together while you wash his hair. His eyes flutter closed while your nails scratch and massage him – he swears his hair is even thicker than it was before with all the blood flow you encourage. You wash his hair twice, then deep condition, holding him to your chest while you wait the five minutes it takes to settle in. He leaves soft kisses on your collar bone, on all the marks he left on you in Nance and Eddie's kitchen. He holds your hand, so you can’t float away. You both end up on the couch afterward, the leather groaning beneath you both while you lay across the deep seat cushions, you lay on your back, he lays on his side against you. The heat of his bare chest warms you through your oversized sleep shirt. His soft sweat pants tangle up with your bare legs. You let whatever’s on TV play – reruns you guess, you’re thinking about too many other things. “How’s your head, baby?” you ask while his eyes shut, leaning on your shoulder. “S’fine, better,” he says, he lifts your hand and kisses your fingers before placing both his and your hand on your chest over your heart. The ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dum lulling him to sleep. You half watch TV for however long until your own eyelids get heavy. You click off the TV and opt to turn the stereo on low, just so he doesn’t get lost while he sleeps.

You wake up to oldies, music your parents would listen to on records in the living room growing up – songs that came out a few years before you were born. Oldies. It's dark outside but you can still hear the rain. Steve’s already awake, just watching you while his hand smooths back and forth over your sternum. “You snored,” he says. “Good,” you reply quietly. You both snort out breathy laughs, feeling the warmth of his lips as they smoosh against your cheek. “How you feeling?” he asks, hand coming up to rest on your cheek, sliding down the side of your neck. “A little banged up,” you say, “Might bruise.” “M’sorry,” he says again, a tinge of guilty pink tinging his ears. “It’s okay,” you repeat for what feels like the thousandth time in the past six hours. “You looked really pretty today,” Steve says gently, almost sheepish, “I should’ve told you.” “You looked really handsome,” you say back, “But you were kind of being an asshole so I didn’t want to tell you.” “You should’ve told me, it probably would’ve cured my PTSD,” he says seriously but sarcastically, “Could’ve saved the entire afternoon if you just said how good I looked. Prob’ly wouldn’t have had an episode.” “You’re such an ass,” you laugh, smiling. He leans in to kiss you and it’s the kind that makes you too weak to stand. That kiss got him a second date, it proved that they said about old King Steve in highschool. On the stereo, Sherry Baby bleeds into Unchained Melody.

His hand reaches up under your neck to tilt you up toward him, tasting your tongue with his, guiding you with his kiss, “Angel…” he murmurs. He breathes through his nose while he keeps his lips pressed to yours, desperate to stay here in this moment, attached to you. “Steve,” you say softly, breaking away, “Stevie…” “Please,” he whispers, nuzzling your nose slowly, “Please.” “Lemme take care of you.” “I…” your thoughts trail off while he kisses your neck, sucking and nibbling gently at the spot just by the hinge of your jaw. He waits for your soft sigh, the tilt of your hips towards him – your allowance. He grins when he hears the air pass your lips, the realignment of your spine beneath him while he settles between your squishy thighs. His hands travel south, pushing up the hem of your big t-shirt to your waist, holding you there for a moment while his kiss takes over your mouth again. He tugs your cotton panties down, breaking the kiss while he sits up on the couch to slide them off your ankles. Steve looks down at you with an expression that makes your breath catch in your chest, serious – with supple lips, needy eyes. He leads himself back down again, big hands sliding down the sides of your thighs over your hips to your waist again. Instinctively, your legs spring up to wrap around him while his hips align with yours, feeling his strained cock in his sweats against you. “Jesus…” he whispers again, eyes fluttering closed. He buries his face in your neck while you rock slowly against him, the pressure and friction against the underside of his erection sending low volts through his body. “Mm-mm,” he grunts, shaking his head ‘no’ while mumbling, “It’s supposed to be about you.” “Well stop dangling it in front of me then,” you giggle quietly, he giggles too. The smile sends you reeling, his pretty teeth, the way his nose scrunches. He leans forward again to kiss, he just can’t stop kissing, can’t stop tasting your lips, feeling you against him. Steve’s hand reaches down to pull himself out of his sweats, pushing the waistband to the tops of his thighs while he uses the other to push one thigh out off the couch. “You ready f’me?” he asks huskily, tip dragging slowly from the pool of slick at your opening up in between your folds. He lets his thumb run in slow circles over your clit while he waits for your answer, your slow nod while you lean your head back on the arm rest gives him the okay. He eases himself in slow, the tip pushing past your opening with some resistance. “Open up a lil’, honey,” he mumbles quietly while he guides the tip in again, “Open up for me.”

Your little gasps float out of you and into the fuzzy part of his brain, gliding down his spine. You angle your hips upward, one thigh up against the couch cushions and the other dangling over the edge, spread as wide as you can. He holds himself above you with one arm, the other aiding in pushing himself further in, the tip finally breaching your core. He keeps guiding, slow back and forths while you ease open for him – taking him in, inch by inch. “Oh yes, mhm,” he groans to himself softly, “Thass–hmm-that’s it, angel.” He let’s go when he’s three fourths in, crowding over you, forearms on each side of your head while he strokes slowly to start – getting you used to him, accommodating his size. “That’s good?” he breathes. “Ye-yeah,” you breathe back to him. His mouth latches to yours again, feeling him guide your hands up beside your head, lacing fingers while he presses you deeper into the couch cushions. He keeps his strokes slow and deliberate, feeling every ridge of you inside, how you suck him in and hug him tight in place – but how he feels isn’t nearly as important. It’s the way your brows contort, the way you bite your lip, your whines into his mouth while he kisses you. Each slow thrust makes you coat him in a new flow of slickness. “C’mere,” he says into your jawline, letting go of one hand to sneak behind you at the waist, pulling you flush to him. The new angle makes you let out a whine while he hits a spot deep inside you, he grunts at the reaction, the feeling of you taking him in. His pace picks up the smallest tick, face centimeters from yours – your noses brush, lips barely touching while his amber eyes keep steady on yours. You let out short huffs, little whimpers every time the head of his cock pushes deeper with every roll of your hips. “S’nice, hm?” he asks, brows slanting, softening. “Mhm,” you squeak back, “S-so good, honey.” Your legs pull in again, socked heels resting on the top of his butt while he sighs at the change in pressure. “Thassperfect, god,” he hisses out, head dropping down to your chest, pressing sloppy kisses above your breasts while he gathers himself. He groans into your neck while wet warmth tightens over him, soft velvet walls coaxing him closer and closer to the edge. 

Steve’s shoulders flex while he balances on his forearms above you again, your forgotten hand taken by his, fingers interlocked. His face inches from yours while he looks at you, the way your eyes flutter, the soft parting of your lips, the high pitched  ‘Uhn, uhn, uhn, uhn,’s coming out of them — you’re so beautiful.

“So pretty,” he says to you, huffing a breath into a smile, “So pretty, baby.” 

You kiss him a thank you. You see him swallow when he breaks away, his eyes getting glassy. 

“S’gonna be okay,” he assures, nodding down at you, nose to nose, “We’re gonna be okay.” Slow thrusts  between statements. 

“Gonna get married,” he says, a groan flowing right down into your mouth while he kisses you, “Gonna be just like Ed and Nance, right?” 

You nod while his thrusts get more passionate, deeper.

“Yeah? That’s nice?” he asks, “Marry you? Take you just like this after the wedding?” 

“Yeah,” you gasp back, “Yes, Stevie.” 

“Give you a baby?” he asks in a low whisper into your skin, lips pressing against your cheek, his strong nose dragging against your cheek bone, “Give you so many babies. You want that?” 

“I want that,” you nod, face pinching while you feel yourself building up and up in a slow churn. 

“You want that?” he asks again, coming back to hover over you — tears in his eyes, “You want that with me?” 

You nod to each other while he embraces you in an old movie kiss, wrapping himself around you, pressing him to his chest while his thrusts get purposeful, controlled. 

“I love you,” he pants into your ear, “I’m yours, m’all yours.”

“I love you, too,” you rasp back, free’d fingers interlocking in his hair. He gets leverage on his knees, the leather of the couch squeaking under him while he repositions. Soft smacks of skin between you echo in the living room against the backdrop of the low stereo.   “Oh my god, Steve,” you moan out, “You’re – oh god you’re so deep.” “So deep, angel, Christ–” he huffs, trying to make a mental note of this position so he can remember it for October – really make it stick. His thought process stifled when your nails drag down his back, making his passionate thrusts quicken – a signature cocky smirk flick across his lips. “Mmm, that feels good honey?” he asks – he knows the answer. Your mouth hangs open in a silent scream, tears glazing over your eyes while he feels you pulse over him. Thank god the couch was leather. Watching you bathe in the afterglow of your orgasm he works you toward the second with ease, chasing his pleasure with each soaking thrust into you – so nice like this, so pliant – his little ragdoll. When he cums it’s deliberate, spilling inside you with your eyes on each other. You give one another breathless kisses, bodies interlocked, sticking to the couch in new found exhaustion. The phone rings. Neither of you get up to answer it. ‘BEEP. You’ve reached the Harrington residence – Did you forget my last name isn’t Harr– If you’re calling before October 1997 then it’s not just the Harrington residence yet but – whatever you know what I mean. Leave a message, we might call ya back.’

“Hey Harrington it’s Munson, um, just making sure you’re okay, man. Sorry I disappeared for a little bit there. Love you, call me back when you can. Bye.” 

thanks for reading. <3

[norel-ravenclaw]

My favourite relationships in One Piece so far

See also: Half my reasons for loving this absurd(ly long) anime to begin with

(((Loaded with spoilers, obviously)))

Luffy and his first mate Zoro

Just all the Strawhats going soft for this batty kid who is so in love with life

Merry and Kaya 😭

Koby and Luffy

Shanks and the feral little dock rat he gave his hat to

Zoro and Sanji when they can shut the fuck up and get along for two seconds

(also that one scene where they’re sleeping with their faces two inches away from each other??)

Nami and Kaya in the live action

Garp and his insane grandkids that he loves so much

Helmeppo and Koby are you kidding me??

Zoro and Nami being the competent ones for so long

Genzo trying to support Bellemere and her daughters

Zeff and Sanji 😭

Luffy making friends with every psycho and monster he comes across

And everyone fondly comparing him to Roger

Usopp visiting Kaya to tell her stories for YEARS

Smoker keeping Tashigi alive and they’re kind of friends??

Pell and his charge Vivi 😭

Chopper and his tsundere, somewhat fucked, verbally abusive parental figures

Usopp and giants

Robin and Nami

Idk what Mihawk and Shanks had going but he always mentions him in a way that seems fond?

Robin and Franky?? Big blustery jerk goes all soft and encouraging trying to convince her to live?? 😭 She grabs his balls and now they’re friends?? He’s insane but he’s also a grown man and he makes her laugh and sometimes when his brain is actually on they can be the adults in the room together

Porche and the insecure Foxy is cute and I don’t care what you have to say he loves his crew and it’s sweet

A FUCKING SKELETON AND A WHALE???

Franky and his daydrinking gremlin sisters that he forcibly adopted 😭

A guy called Iceberg and the mouse he just picked up off the street one day and named Tyrannosaurus???

Tom and Kokoro and their little found family of feral junk rats

Bon Clay and Luffy??

Buggy and Mr 3, the cynical scheming brotp I never saw coming and am so here for

Puzzle Phoenix and his first mate Vigaro who were most definitely fucking no I won’t accept criticism

The flag hunter ice skating couple bc I guess I’m a sucker for a pair that just genuinely love each other?? Especially if they’re weird or insane and match each other’s freak

Merry and Usopp??

And of course the Strawhats love Usopp too

Sanji may be a freak but he’d do anything for his crew and seeing them happy with his food is everything

Chopper and all his animal friends

Zoro and Perona are SO sibling coded it’s hilarious

Whitebeard and all his sons 😭 (thank FUCK the one and only thing I’d ever heard about One Piece was a certain spoiler. I wanna punch lava now)

How could I forget Robin and Chopper??

Should I keep updating this as I watch more?

[kiyomitakada]

at this point, i think people should just send in prompts for the ask game about the entire cast. can i put in a request for aizawa, if no one else has asked?

hgklhklshf god if people did that we'd be here all month, which i actually have no objection to, this is the most fun thing i have scheduled

favorite thing about them: he's so… normal? he's a regular guy. he has a life outside the investigation, he has a wife and kids. he never has any kind of parasocial instinct and it shows especially in the successor arc, when the task force is basically surrounded by false gods and he takes the time to balance the pros and cons for each of them. he doesn't trust near or light or L (the original, because now that has to be said); he trusts his own judgment and that's all. he's just really grounded! it's very admirable

least favorite thing about them: he is SO mean to matsuda sometimes… i don't really think he's trying to be mean, he's just taking his frustration out on the easiest target, but man. no wonder matsuda sticks to light. the epitome of their relationship to me is the bit right after the explosion that's like,

aizawa: (worried) matsuda! are you okay?!

matsuda: aurghahghrhghghh… ow……… no……………

aizawa: good you seem fine

favorite line: (shaking) "so we'll be able to go to the park… and the zoo… …even the amusement park…"

brOTP: him and ide are so cute together. i love that bit where ide is like i didn't join the task force for either of the Ls, i never trusted L anyway. i'm here for You. and aizawa is like Oh Ide…… i think i screenshot that during my first read with the simple caption #yaoi but im kind of attached to the idea that they're best friends instead now

OTP: also aizawa and ide, on the days when i think they are yaoi rather than best friends, but i will provide other ships. im kind of fond of L/aizawa but this is my only serious take on it so far. otherwise in my head it's just L dramatically and unrequitedly pining after this married man who is convinced L hates him and wants him to die, and even after he realizes otherwise aizawa is just incredibly awkward about it and is like L i think i am too old for you

nOTP: none…? yeah none sorry i don't think about aizawa enough for this

random headcanon: is allergic to dogs. wishes he could own one. is incredibly jealous of how good matsuda is with dogs to the point where he claims he doesn't like them

unpopular opinion: not exactly an opinion about him but i don't hc his wife as abusive, just kind of not-in-love with him. more power to everyone who does though! iiii was going to give reasons but got depressed halfway through, here's a better unpopular opinion: i think he's probably one of the most morally upright characters in death note and at the very least would not have shot his daughter in the face. #GoodCopsQuit (he should have stayed quit…)

song i associate with them: to answer this question i looked up "reasonable songs for reasonable people" in youtube and then immediately realized that was a terrible idea. uhhh. ACTUALLY

Who am I? Who am I against him? Who am I? Why would he let me win? Why would he let her go? Who am I to think that he wouldn't deceive me just to make me leave alone?

to quote @applestorms: successor arc is shuichi aizawa's personal psychological horror

favorite picture of them:

i LOVE how angry he looks here

[smallsinger5901]

Kiyomi Takada!

oookayy i need to round up my thoughts into words for this so here goes:

Favourite thing about her: probably the fact that, even if we don’t see it, she was super driven and achieved so much ay such a young age by herself. I mean, she’s Light’s age and already NHN’s #2 newscaster? She couldve done so much better without Light’s interference :(

Least favourite thing about her: she is veeeryy superior and I definitely could see her being ‘not like other girls’, given the way she talks about Misa. She also clearly thinks shes too smart to be being manipulated by light (girl! Not how that works!)

favourite line: i actually don’t have a specifc line for Takada, just… everything about her final conversation with Light… she’s realised that, if it was manipulation the whole time, this is a betrayal… but she knows better than to be manipulated, right? So this can’t be the moment she’s betrayed. (Right?)

brOTP: her and Mikami would probably get on really well even outside of Kira, they seemed like they got on super well, or well enough that Mikami remembered her. I can picture them having brunch gossip dates and stuff lol

OTP: i don’t think a lot about ships for Takada, but i’d say Kiyomisa. They need to dump light together and realise that comphet is wayyy less fun than lesbianism.

nOTP: honestly her with any man. Im sorry i cannot ever see her being even slightly attracted to men, insanely strong comphet is as far as i can personally tolerate

random headcanon: when she stands up in the back of the truck after calling light, she isn’t being controlled- she’s about to try and get out. Because we hear the heartbeat sound effects after she’s standing in the middle of the truck, which i take to mean she wasn’t under his control until that moment :(

unpopular opinion: she wasn’t that dedicated to Light as a person, she convinced herself she liked him (aforementioned comphet) but she probably wouldn’t have seen him again very often if he hadnt revealed he was kira. She was more interested in kira than she was light, i mean.

song i associate with her: Caeser on a Tv screen by The Last Dinner Party. (Just for a second, she could be one of the greats…)

favourite picture of her:

The way she’s studying so hard lolll

Tysm for the ask!! :D

[helluvapurf]

*sips tea seeing HB "Mastermind" making its rounds*

...Sooooo, this latest episode's content definitely was... alot, in more ways than one lol .w. Don't really have the energy atm to do a full "Pros & Cons" list like my prior reviews, soooo... have some jumbled first impressions below lmao:

NOTE: Obv there'll be some spoilers ahead so do keep note of that... aaaaand like usual these ARE just my own personal thoughts at the end of the day, so *please* try to keep things civil if you disagree with anything below. Thank you. 🙏

WOO, nice to see some more Sins introduced on-screen! 🤩Satan is pretty rad with his cowboy dragon aesthetic, the sleepy sheep lady (Belphegor, I think?) looks cute, and I do like the idea of Leviathan being a two-head split creature (tho ngl, I kiiiinda wish her "pretty" half wasn't just a taller version of the Glam twins 😭 might just be the Bi in me talking hlhjk but... Viv y u so allergic to giving us pretty monster ladiessss-)

Great to see Asmodeus, Beezlebub & Mammon back all at once, and their courtroom getups were pretty cool~ 👀Loved Ozzie & Bee's lil friendship, along with Mammon being the most annoying brother-like figure to both Bee & Ozzie lmao

BLITZ'S (almost) FINAL SPEECH TO HIS WHOLE CREW PRE-EXECUTION (+requesting M&M to take care of Loona if he died), MY HEART- 😭😭❤️For all this man's flaws/past mistakes, there's NO denying how much he loves his employees & loved ones at the end of the day (& vice-versa on their ends)... hhhhh q-q

The inner-most squee I had at the Fizz cameo & his frantic worry for Blitz (+texting Ozzie to protect his best friend), aaaaaa~ TwT 💕💕 (*also semi-related side note; but YAY a lil Verosika cameo too (loving her twin-tail hairdo~), even showing fearful concern for Blitz's fate? Aww~ 🥺🩷Plsss let this be a sign her character's not completely done in terms of screentime, I'd SO love for more Blitz/Verosika bonding moments (to maybe a potential brotp forming) as he got with Fizz! 🙏🙏*)

Striker returns, yaaaay!~ 😍 ...aaaand he's mainly just there to act like a dumb grunt to Andre's plotting, oh... 😐'least his court getup's pretty snazzy though, loving the jacket~👌

Blitz + IMP finally getting to receive some hero treatments in the public (Impkind's) eye, fireworks, street celebrations, and potential new clients-included? Sweeeeet~ 👏👏

...well I'll be, Stolas actually getting some narrative consequences here?? 😲😲Standing up for Blitz's life, taking the blame for the Grimoire's misuse, accepting his punishment of the 100 year ban from his status, wealth & powers that were part of his life since forever... daaaaang, now this is some good character building here!~ 👀 Now, with such an honorable & grand gesture Stolas did for the sake of Blitz, their brief duet, and the end shot of them basically becoming roommates now that Stolas has nothing left... does this make me an official Stol*itz shipper now?? 🤩 ...Hmmmmmmmmm, nah lol 🤷‍♀️Now, okay I don't mean to sound like some negative nancy bitch or however, cause I AM proud of Stolas taking the lengths he did to protect Blitz & IMP (and now with him not having a fancy prince title anymore, this could potentially give him the chance to challenge his past privileged/classist mindset, living in the same social class as the same Imps his fellow Goetia society have long-oppressed). However, if there's anything I've learned from shows like Bojack Horseman... big grand gestures are NOT the be-all/end-all answer to proving romantic compatibility 👏👏

When it comes to any sort of relationship, romantic or otherwise... what should matter most is consistent, genuine care & support from one partner to another. And as far as we've seen from Stolas & Blitz's dynamic up til this point... imo, they really haven't had enough positive (non-sexual) bonding moments (save for stuff like their attempts at small talk at "Ozzie's", Stolas laughing at Blitz's sitcom jokes in "Seeing Stars", one photo of Blitz smiling while they slept), to justify them being some "destined-for-one-another" couple? 🤷‍♀️ Not helped by how both men were constantly avoiding & bickering at one another for most of S2 up til now... Iiiii can't be the only one who found it just a tad rushed Blitz was suddenly all "loving/domestic hubby mode🥺🥺" towards Stolas at the end... right? .w.;; Esp. in light of Stolas going through so much as he had to in one trial (+the realization of what'll become of his daughter, following said-punishment) ...he really, really shouldn't be in the mindset for tackling romance rn (at least til he continues to grow & heal better, down the line)... with OR without Blitz😔

....buuut yeah, thats just my own take on the matter; so ofc NO shade at all to those who are genuine Stolas/Stol*itz fans btw (thanks to this ep and/or previous ones), you're valid!👍👍For me, I'll still be vibing onwards with my own personal HCs/ships, so feel free to stay tuned for that if you're curious! :>

Now that we've finally got to meet Vassago upfront, Iiiii'm honestly a lil disappointed he was just... "there" in terms of plot-relevancy (even with all his previous trailer/merch hype)? .w.;; Don't get me wrong, I DO find it refreshing that Vassago's actually a nice guy, and that Stolas did have some genuine support in the Goetia society after all. But other than Vassago wholesomely cheering on Stolas by the sidelines... hmmm, I can't help feeling like not much would've changed had Vassago not been here at all, ngl 🤷‍♀️ Maaaaybe S3 might change things if he gets more spotlight there instead (esp with what I remember everyone theorizing of Vassago (possibly) becoming a 2nd love interest for Stolas .3. idk, part of me's kinda curious how that'd play out with Blitz in the picture- 🤔)?

Andrealphus's antagonist spotlight here... was fine, I guess? Idk, I can't say I've ever been too big a fan of Andre beforehand (mainly from his late-inclusion in the Stolas plot feeling a lil forced + him stealing the spotlight of what could've been interesting villain potential for Stella imo). Not to say I didn't find some of his hammy dialogue funny, along with enjoying the visuals of his ice magic... buuuut yeah, still pretty lukewarm towards him either way 🤷‍♀️could've also done without those creepy af comments about his sister as well... like bruh that in*cest shit wasn't funny the first time, whyyy keep bringing that back- 🤢

Speaking of Stella... ehhhhh, still a pretty flat character as she was in previous episodes (which I guess shouldn't be too surprising with this show's track record with female characters ngl 🤷‍♀️). Interesting to finally see an on-screen interaction with her & Octavia though (granted, not exactly on a good note given her evil smirk at the end... but I guess it does answer some HC questions I had previously of what their mother/daughter dynamic is like, hmmm... 🤔).

As for Octavia in-question... hhHHHH MY POOR BIRD CHILD T-T 💔💔Girl practically watched her greatest fears coming true (aka: Stolas abandoning her for the sake of Blitz), seeing what became of her dad on live-TV. Even if she obviously doesn't know the full story (esp with her mom & uncle pulling strings), its still SO heartbreaking when you consider her trailer sneak-peek ("You never loved Mother, you don't love me, you love him-"). And with only one episode left before S2 wraps up... ooooof, this ain't gonna be pretty ;-;

---------

-Hoooo yeah, that was alot of rambling my bad... but yeah, thats about as clear of thoughts as I have rn regarding "Mastermind". Even with some of the (admittedly) bloated cast, and some other narrative nitpicks I have with it... I'm honestly hyped to see how the upcoming finale will tie all these big plot points together! 👀🤞🤞

[maranigai]

For the character meme. I love your hornsent OCs and thus wanted to know your thoughts on Messmer!

Ah, thanks for the kind words about my guys, I love them and I appreciate it so much! And what about Messmer... ho-ho, that's a tricky one. Anyways, let's go.

favorite thing about them

First of all, I have a lifelong weakness for morally ambiguous red-haired spearsmen, as sir Ornstein can confirm. But fine, that was a joke, let's get serious for a moment. The key thing for Messmer, the core of his story and his character, is love. He loves his mother - quite simple, isn't it? But in fact no, it isn't simple. Because he loves her, more than anything else in the world, more than himself. This love is bigger than any destruction and harm it brings, even to Messmer himself, this love is the reason for all things, it's the basis of all things. And Messmer can't hurt what he loves so much, he can't deny this love, he can't deny his mother, because if he does, what's next? It was everything. Literally everything. So of course he does things for her, some things that he likes, some things that he doesn't like, some things that he would never do if not her. I think I can relate with this after a fashion, but this is not what made me love his story and his character. I love it because in the end of the day that love was hollow. It wasn't enough to overcome fear, hatred and vengeance. It wasn't enough for Marika to save Messmer, and he realizes it...

least favorite thing about them

...too late. I don't believe that Messmer sympathized with the hornsent in a slightest during his crusade, but I do believe that he had his doubts that grew as time - and war - went on. I'm sure he, unlike most of the crusaders, knew the truth about the shamans, about his mother's vengeance - and his mother was everything to him, right? He had no reason to sympathize with savages capable of such horrific acts - and so he didn't, completely ignoring how horrific and savage he himself was. It was for his mother and the new civilized world she was building, so what's wrong with a little hypocrisy here? But the war went on and on and on, and the lands were shrouded in shadows, and the mother stopped answering, and Messmer and his army were left in oblivion, alone with the deserved hatered, far from everything they had fought for. Their purpose got blurred, their guidance faded, and I believe that's when Messmer began to ask himself - why? Why is he going on, why is he fighting? And he could have answered that question - but he didn't, because the answer was "there's no reason", because answering meant acknowledging that nothing he had done really mattered, that all his love and suffering was a waste. Eventually, he was not strong enough - brave enough - to admit it before his dying breath, which was too late. I can't say I dislike his ending (I'm writing it in this paragraph mainly because I'm too curious to see an alternative), but I still wish he could overcome his fear earlier, when it could still change something - though it's a FromSoft game, so obviously it's not an option given their brilliant taste in tragedy.

favorite line

It's always hard to pick favourite lines in a FromSoft game, because... idk, I just love the dialogue and the voice acting in these games. But if I had to choose, it would be...

Embrace thine oblivion, as shall I.

Just because how utterly summarizing it is, for both the character himself and for the whole Land of Shadow.

brOTP

My glorious boar-riding man Gaius! I just love how Messmer, mommy's personal machine for eradicating everything graceless, befriended artificial (!) graceless (!!) dude who was persecuted by almost everyone in the Lands Between and made him his deputy. It's also mentioned that they had common ground in that they both were cursed from birth, so their friendship seems to come from a genuine understanding of each other's struggle. In general, I think that this is an interesting adittion to Messmer's overall portrait and a bittersweet dynamic of two cursed beings finally finding understanding in one another.

OTP

Rellana, because I'm a hopeless fan of the "liege and their a bit too loyal knight" dynamic. However, I hc their relationships as unresolved/platonic because both of them put their duty in the crusade first, and it's generally not a smart move to show open love when you're surrounded by people who'd gladly take away everything you love as revenge. I also don't like it when Rellana is reduced to just Messmer's gf instead of a fearsome sorceress and military commander in her own right.

nOTP

To be honest, I have yet to see a pairing with him that would straight up frustrate me. For the most part, my reaction is just indifference. But if I had to pick one, it would probably be Godwyn/Messmer, just because there are so many so much more interesting dynamics for both of them.

random headcanon

He was the son of Radagon and Marika, born during Marika's marriage to Godfrey, and was officially recognized as a bastard (this is why he's sir Messmer and not lord Messmer). In the beginning Godfrey wasn't a big fan of him for obvious reasons, but over time their relationship became more tender; by the time of Godfrey's exile Messmer sincerely viewed him as father, even without blood relation.

unpopular opinion

I don't thing he had a close relationship with Melina - in fact, I don't think he was even aware of her existence. Fandom often portrays them as twins for some reason, but the "younger sister" can be centuries younger when we're talking about demigods - and in my hcs, she was. So no cute Melina&Messmer fanart for me.

song i associate with them

Белая гвардия - Песня рядового

I know, I know, the language and all that, but just trust me, the lyrics hits hard considering Messmer.

favorite picture of them

I really love this trailer-based art by IvyJinna

[kcuf-ad]

For the character ask thing… How’s about Metal Sonic?

Okie dokie!

Favourite Thing About Them

I love his cockiness in pretty much everything he has to do and his shit talk in his Neo Form is actually proven right, as he easily kicks ass.

Least Favourite Thing About Them

I am not that familiar in Sonic Lore, but I always loved how in the OVA, he was shown why he should be treated with respect and fear as he managed to kick Sonic's ass, but in the modern stuff, he just... kinda gets his ass beat.

Favourite Line

Thanks to Death Battle.

"IT'S TOO LATE! I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

brOTP

Metal Sonic X Infinite. I think it is lowkey funny to imagine them shit talk about Shadow and Sonic while they are having snacks.

NOTP

Probably Metal X Sonic. It's not my thing.

OTP

I don't have one.

Random Headcanon

OKAY! The way that how most people think Metal would treat Cubot and Orbot is actually the opposite. This man is protective of them when no one is looking, he side eyes anyone trying to talk smack, and is always treated as the big brother of the family.

Song

The Song that got me into Metal Sonic as a whole.

Favourite Image

The sassynest in this one image is amazing. Look how far he is sending Knuckles. Sonic's reaction is really funny to me.

[sephirthoughts]

Yazoo for the character headcanon thing, please! 💜

YAAAZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i love the remnants so much thank you and i will be revenged

(this ask game)

i'm dividing these into my headcanons for canon, serious, and crack because my headcanons vary wildly depending on those contexts

Sexuality Headcanon:

canon: in the context of how they are represented in canon, i headcanon all the remnants as asexual. they are very physically beautiful, like sephiroth, and yazoo especially is meant to represent his allure, but sephiroth's allure isn't necessarily sexual. he is a seductive being, but he can use all kinds of seduction, including those that are totally nonsexual, which we see when cloud has his little sephisodes™️ in rebirth. also like sephiroth, i think the remnants lack any kind of sexual drive, especially not biological sexual reproduction since they are not traditional bio-organisms in the first place

serious: pretty much the same as canon, except he's more on the extreme demi end of ace, rather than totally nonsexual. i think he'd be 100% pure homosexual in his attractions though. i can't realistically picture a Yazoo who would be attracted to a woman

crack: everyone is poly pansexual in my rotten little crack universe

Gender Headcanon:

canon: i think the writers intended the remnants to be cismale sort of by default, so i have to respect that in my canon headcanons, but i don't have to like it.

serious: nonbinary all the way. i don't think the remnants see themselves in human terms, and i think how they present gender-wise is pretty arbitrary to them. their bodies look masculine to human people so they just accept masc pronouns that people use for them based on that assumption because they don't give a shit

crack: transcendent. yazoo is too beautiful for any one gender and encompasses them all

A ship I have with said character:

canon: none at all. i don't think the writers intended the remnants to be romantic or sexual beings. i haven't read that novel that occurs pre-advent children but i doubt it's much different in that

serious: complex. my remnants are far too broken to form anything resembling traditional romantic attachments individually. i think the bond between the three is so deep as to make them view themselves as one inseparable unit. however, as a group, they may form an obsessive attachment to someone that may manifest in romantic/sexual ways because i like that dynamic, A LOT. these units are not sold individually so dating one of them doesn't exist. it's either all three or none. the dramatic potential for examining each of them as an individual aspect of one whole, in romantic interactions with the person they've attached to is really interesting to me.

annnnnnd RENT LOWERING GUNSHOTS this is where i get in trouble with the remnants fans: i think all three of them including yazoo would tend toward being incestuous in their sexual/romantic attractions and i have a very good reason! it's because fictional incest is hot! seriously though, i write yazoo and loz kissing a lot but it's not that they're necessarily sexually attracted to each other, so much as it is a self-soothing behavior, because of the way they're mentally connected as one unit. to me the remnants aren't triplets, they're one being, in three pieces. also, i think that because of their jenova reunion thing, they would likely only feel any kind of attraction to another individual with jenova cells. for that reason i think cloud is pretty much the only ship candidate. also imagine cloud being abducted by all three remnants and forced to sit and have a candle-lit dinner with them. ADORABLE

crack: anyone who strikes my fancy i ship everyone in crack. my favorite right now is all three remnants with reeve because him getting followed around and pestered by these superhuman lunatics with teeny-bopper crushes on the handsome grown-up daddy man is very funny to me

A BROTP I have with said character:

canon: the other remnants

serious: cloud. he's the only one left with jenova cells, they call him brother, and he's strong enough to keep them from causing mass-destruction when they're grouchy. i genuinely think that if he'd take them under his wing and be extremely patient, he'd be able to at least quasi-domesticate them. never fully though because yuck why good them up when they're so fun bad, and also he's only partly housebroken, himself. i am literally in the process of writing a post-advent children fic where one of the plot threads is that very thing happening because i love the idea of mentor big brother to the remnants so much.

crack: BABYROTH!!! i think if they could get into contact with past teen sephiroth, they could rescue him from shinra and become a serious threat to the existence of the planet together. they'd be so happy!!! also RENO!!!! i think yazoo and reno would get along insanely well for some reason. it must be that sexy bitch energy

A NOTP I have with said character:

canon: n/a

serious: like i said i wouldn't pair yazoo with a woman but otherwise i can't think of a serious NoTP. i guess just the people on my no ship with anyone ever because i hate them with the fire of ten-thousand suns list

crack: no such thing as a crack NoTP i write whatever i feel like 🧐

A random headcanon:

canon: i think yazoo is the smartest but he keeps his mouth shut about it because kadaj has a super short temper and yazoo doesn't care to argue with him anyway

serious: i like to HC the remnants physically existing outside of sephiroth but bound to him against their will, so they basically have to follow him around and do what he says. in this scenario yazoo is the one least abused by sephiroth for some reason, so he's slightly less terrible to him than the other two. all three of them fear sephiroth and absolutely hate him, so it's not as if yazoo appreciates being the 'favorite', but it IS convenient not to get thrown through walls when sephiroth is in a bad mood. BONUS OTHER REMNANTS: sephiroth is the most violent with loz who is the most physically powerful, and he's overbearing-father controlling and emotionally abusive with kadaj because he sees the most of himself in him

crack: yazoo is constantly accidentally seducing people left and right because he can't help it he just seems like he's flirting no matter what he does or says and he has sephiroth's allure so no one is immune and he winds up with a huge gaggle of lovestruck admirers whether he wants them or not poor pretty baby

General Opinion about said character:

i love yazoo. i love him so much. he's my perfect little angel baby pumpkin sunshine honey muffin mass-murdering monster-summoning child-abducting walking wmd and he fucking SERVES. the remnants all deserved so much better than they got. i want them in waaaaayyyyy more stuff DO THE RIGHT THING SUARE also yazoo slutty bahamut costume WHEN

thank you for the ask! await my vengeance! 🖤

[starlightshadowsworld]

Lovecraft and Kunikida for the character thing, please :) (if we're allowed to ask for multiple at once, if not then my apologies)

I’ve been waiting for Kunikida!

Favourite thing: For Lovecraft it’s how he’s a scary incomprehensible being. And yet he’s so excited to make balloon animals.

For Kunikida it’s his heart. The way he cares for others so desperately. How he would destroy himself in a heart beat if it meant saving others.

He went back for Atsushi and Kyouka on the boat. He cleans Katai’s house. He hates authority yet trusts and follows Fukuzawa orders to a T.

Least favourite thing: For Lovecraft it’s how he’s this complete enigma in this world that’s just not really a thing after the fight against Soukoku.

For Kunikida it’s that he fights for an ideal world and yet never includes himself in that future.

Also he threatened to break Atsushi’s arm when they met and told him to not try and save Kyouka. Despite knowing she’d have been killed otherwise.

Favourite line:

For Lovecraft it’s during his fight against Chuuya and Dazai. “This shoulder is stiff as of late. Perhaps I have been working too hard?”

Because it sounds so normal and reasonable…and sounds funny while he’s unveiling his true form and breaking his neck.

For Kunikida it’s during the 55 minutes light novel.

He and Atsushi are trying to get into a restricted area. Soilders stand at the ready pointing guns at them as the Colnel gives his final warning for them to stand down.

To which Kunikida says: “this is my final warning as well. Move. We are detectives given orders to catch the theives. This island may have extraterritorial rights, but don’t you dare think you can threaten civilians at gunpoint on my watch.

Because not only is it fucking badass but it is a moment that sums up Kunikida’s entire being.

He’s being told to stand down and refuses. He ignores the possible consequences because people are in danger and he’ll be damned if he lets that happen.

Also anytime Kunikida says “we are the armed detective agency.” It’s like Captain America saying Avengers assemble.

I don’t have any BrOTP, OTP or nOTP for Lovecraft but I do for Kunikida.

BrOTP

Kunikida and Yosano. They go drinking together, he respects her greatly and she is fond of him. I imagine in the early days they worked together and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s why she carries a chainsaw on hand.

Kunikida and Ranpo. Along with Yosano I imagine they worked together in the early days. The respect that they have for each other and their positions in the Agency.

How Ranpo stands by Kunikida in his darkest moments and reaffirms how important he is to them all. He is one of the few people Kunikida has ever smiled at. Kunikida looks up to him and I love their bond.

Kunikida and Fukuzawa. For someone who hates authority to follow someone unquestionably means that they share a special bond. They have so much in common that it’s clear to see why Fukuzawa chose Kunikida as his successor.

Kunikida embodies everything the Agency could and should be. And Kunikida doesn’t take such a thing lightly. He will follow Fukuzawa even when he’s not around because he knows what he would want him to do.

Kunikida and Atsushi. They way Atsushi grows on Kunikida and how he is a mentor to him is everything to me. They have so much in common and Atsushi looks up to him. Kunikida isn’t the best at showing it but he cares for Atsushi dearly and wants him to be better than he is.

For all his scoldings it’s clear that Kunikida is proud of him.

OTP

Kunikida and Chuuya. They have similar personalities and roles in their organisations. I feel they’d both respect each other as they both embody qualities that they admire and strive towards.

And they’d be very cute together.

Kunikida and Dazai. They are partners. They care for each other so deeply and the trust they have for each other goes so far. Kunikida trusting that Dazai will always have his back and that even in the dark he’s a guiding light. Dazai trusting that Kunikida will always do what’s right.

And look at them, they’ve bickering old married couple energy.

Kunikida and Katai. Childhood best friends to lovers it’s right there and they care about each other so much. Kunikida is the one that keeps Katai tethered to the outside and Katai would brace those horrors if Kunikida asked it of him.

NOTP: Don’t really have any.

Random headcanon: Lovecraft finds squid’s to be horrifying and doesn’t like being compared to them. Kunikida had a punk phase as a teenager but never lot his hatred for authority.

Unpopular opinion: Lovecraft is an interesting idea but not very much in practice. Kunikida isn’t a bootlicker, he doesn’t hate Dazai and the issue isn’t he doesn’t care for others but that he cares too much.

Song I associate with them: For Lovecraft, Animal Cannibal (Possibly in Michigan) by Buckshot Princess.

For Kunikida, Hero by Skillet.

Favourite picture:

He really is just a weirdo huh.

It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.

[the-indie-owl]

It's been So Long since I have done using one of my Shipping Charts before, but I'd figure why not do it again based on one of my Recent Fandom Moods.

Here's my own Space Goofs Shipping Chart (And Yes, Despite Being in the Same Level Path as SpongeBob as Having Way, WAY Too Many Characters (Which Again, isn't a Shock when it Comes to Franchises Having Way Too Many Characters that Get so Milked to Death)), I've decided to Cut a "Cheat" Mode just by Focusing on its Main Characters using the First One.

Anyway, Here's a List of My Own Ships (+Some Explaining about some Personal Opinions, Please Be Respectful If You Don't Agree With Me).

OTP:

Purple Candy (Etno/Candy) (My Number One 💜💚)

Television Bookworm (Bud/Stereo)

BrOTP:

Extraterrestrial Brains (Etno/Stereo)

Evil Scientists (Dr. Saccharin/Igor)

Like:

Greedy Science (Etno/Gorgious)

Piggy Sloth (Gorgious/Bud)

Neat Halves (Candy/Stereo)

Ok:

Radioactive Nerd (Etno/Bud)

Hungry Egghead (Stereo/Gorgious)

Dislike:

Sweet Gluttony (Gorgious/Candy)

NOTP:

Ray Gun (Bolok/Etno)

TV Murderer (Bolok/Bud)

Trigger Wife (Bolok/Candy)

Etno/Ambre-Lou

MISC IN THE OTHER SECTION:

❤️OTP:

Bolok/OC (Elodie Auclair created by One of My Friends, @djinarocks)

Ambre-Lou/OC (Daniel also created by @djinarocks and even an Upcoming Character of My Own)

💚Like:

The Space Goofs with Any Fans' OCs

🖤NOTP:

Desert Cosmos (Etno/Zibouya)

Literally Any of The Aliens with Gerty (from "First Love") Because You Would Know The Drill ;P

Ok, so far, I wasn't going to even expect to Ship Bud & Stereo Together, but thanks to One Television Bookworm Shipper, it Recently Grew on Me. 😉😊

I'm Neutral When It Comes to Couples Bickering with Each Other but Gorgious/Candy aren't just my Fav. That's why I'm more of a Etno/Candy Person (Because I've Recently Love Them Together as Sweet Parents among their Group 💚💜💚💜💖💗)

For some reason, unlike Sweet Gluttony, a Few Gorgious Ships came to grew on Me and that's how I started to like Greedy Science & Piggy Sloth. I like them as Crack (especially since both Neat Halves & Piggy Sloth are such Rarepairs).

I'm totally gonna killed by Other Bolok Fangirls but I'm Sorry but I just can't. I mainly like the idea of a Alive! Reformed Bolok in a "Enemies to Friends" AU but despite Me being so On-And-Off of the Whole "Enemies to Lovers" trope, I'm neutral when it comes to it (depends on how the Writers tend to do So with their own Characters). I just kinda don't really like to ship Any of the Goofs with the Canon Humans from Each of their Villain of the Week Episodes (especially if it's Etno with Zibouya), since I'm mainly more on "Shipping The Main Characters with Each Other" Camp Side rather than "Shipping The Main Characters with Their Enemies" Side. Plus, I mainly prefer the idea of Bolok to be Ship with Any Fan-OC considering that this Fandom needs to bring back some OC/Canon Shipping as Bolok would no doubt be the Perfect Target for a New One. Deal With It.

Also, yeah, I apparently found out that someone else from back then shipped Etno with Ambre-Lou WAAAAAAAAAAY Long before this Fandom revived. I highly refused to give that a Ship Name of its Own Because Ew, DO NOT WANT! 🤢

Tbh, aside from Shipping the Goofs with Each Other, I also adore Many OC/Canon Ships around Any of Them. Doesn't really matter as long as Everyone has their own Ships (I do not regret being a Mulitshipper).

Because I've been meaning to plan to create more OCs around in this Fandom, My Friend already did had in mind for her own Love Interest for Ambre-Lou like Me, so hopefully this Fandom could finally give Her a Chance to Shine More after Bolok.

Granted, I wish I could explain more on The Other Side Characters for some More Crack Ship ideas (that is, if I were to use the Other Versions), but that's all I have for now for the first one.

Those who wanna try out their own version, Link.

[kayakima]

hiiii!! don't mind me, just pulling out a folding chair and setting it up on your lawn after that connie x pieck art you reblogged. please tell me about the hijinks and shenanigans they would get up to!!

also, while i'm here i just wanted to say that i always loved pieck as a character, but the way you've written her in Our Whole Lives are Ahead of Us is my favourite depiction of her in any fic and i just consider it cannon for her now

hope you're doing well bb! <3

HELLO WILDIE!!!!

Don’t mind me busting out a grill and cooking some hot dogs with my crush (he’s very into hot dogs) while I advocate for ConPiku. Bonfire’s in the corner and as any good old American I endorse the irresponsible use of lighter fluid at a bonfire (we hosed the grass around the firepit down so have fun)

Pieck and Connie in OWL are a very special pairing and I like to think that Connie sees a bit of Sasha in Pieck. They’re both very carefree and funny people, where Pieck is funny and smart, and Connie is funny and dumb. I think in an actual romantic relationship it wouldn’t really last super long because Pieck does need someone who can intellectually stimulate her and Connie is much more “look at the surface level of what’s going on, and go from there,” and is maybe a bit too trusting, but I think for a short time, they’d have a ton of fun and even if they did break up, I think they’d still have the emotional maturity to stay friends (because Connie is BY FAR the most emotionally mature of the scouts). I do think their respective abilities to get the big picture mesh well and I also feel like there would be a mutual respect that they’re both incredibly loyal and committed, sometimes even to a fault.

From a purely platonic standpoint, they would ABSOLUTELY do some major prank wars and target Jean and Reiner especially, and I do think in the 2 years they were in Péllon (OWL’s version of Paris) with the other ambassadors before finally going to the island, Connie and Pieck wreaked havoc on everybody. They’re a crack ship AND a brotp for me.

Connie is the type of prankster that would pour shampoo on Reiner’s head while he was showering so he just gets confused as to why his shampoo is just NOT washing out.

Pieck is the type of prankster who would anonymously Halloweenie Armin and Annie’s house just to watch them be slightly inconvenienced by having to clean it all up

Connie and Pieck would be a couple of MENACES if they were together in a room for too long. This is what they would do to Jean’s apartment at a party.

Also ty ty ty SO much for the OWL love 🥰 writing Pieck and fleshing out her character has been really fun and a bit cathartic for myself. I also have a tendency to put my dad on a pedestal (he does a lot of good things for me without question) and feel as though I have to make some sort of mark as a way to show gratitude. It’s a lot of pressure that’s self-imposed, and it’s part of why I find Pieck to be so fascinating. Not only does she want to make a difference in the world for Eldians and prove their usefulness (as well as her own), but she signed her own life away to help her father. It’s a combination of selflessness and extreme selfishness that I like to explore for her sake and my own. Did she have hidden motives behind signing up as well? Or was it entirely altruism that pushed her to do it?

It makes me wonder if there was ever a point where Pieck’s father was apprehensive over her joining the warrior program, especially since he seems to be the only parent of any of the warriors that has a healthy and loving relationship with his child. Even if he has significant issues with his health (his illness is never specified but I generally headcanon a type of early-stage cancer), he seems like he loves Pieck enough to want her to live a full life, and I think that would be an interesting contrast considering that all of the other warrior parents that are more fleshed out end up forcing or manipulating their children into becoming warriors. It makes me wonder if they had a blowout fight when she was given the cart? Or is he gentle enough with her that he just accepted it and did his best to support her while swallowing his own feelings? I love characters that are left vague like this because there’s so many questions you can ask about their motives and their desires, and so many answers you can come up with.

As far as myself, I’m dealing with a lot regarding finances and work and it’s really dragging me down tbh. It’s very difficult to find consistent work in the film industry still and I’m so passionate about it that I have a hard time dealing with the hot and cold nature of it. It’s definitely tough out here trying to focus on the positives when my government is led by such corrupt and incompetent people. I’m trying my best though and that’s honestly all we can do at the end of the day.

Thank you for checking in! And I hope you’re doing well yourself!!! Not sure if I’ve ever said this but I visited Scotland in 2017 and it was unforgettable!!! Edinburgh was by far my favorite city there and it’s the setting of one of my comfort films (Journey to the Center of the Earth [1959]) so it was a blast to see it in person!!!

[bad-as-me]

Morgott for the ask meme!

hell yes my boy!!

favorite thing about them

Honestly, Morgott covers the bases for a lot of things I'm weak for in a character. I love a guy who is so single-mindedly devoted to a cause, especially one driven by a need to be loved, that the rest of the world and their own well-being falls apart in the process. Something about the inherent tragedy of someone choosing to die on a hill that nobody asked them to take on, that would really be in their better interest to let go of and start anew elsewhere, and yet you want so badly for their efforts to be rewarded in some way because you know it's all for love.

It's just so terribly romantic in a gothic sense. He reminds me so much of the description of the creature in Frankenstein: someone that tried so hard to fit himself into the image of what his maker wanted, who speaks beautifully and eloquently in contrast to his rough exterior, who boasts an intelligence and a competency that was likely learned while hidden from society. And yet we know in both situations that effort will never be reciprocated.

Also, he growls and purrs and has a giant fluffy snow leopard tail. How can I not be obsessed with him.

least favorite thing about them

His big beautiful horns are so hard to draw :'(

Honestly, he's one of those characters where even his flaws are incredibly interesting to me. I like that he refuses to give up his position of power! It's something he worked so hard for, and to his mind must be the only way he can stay safe in a world that he knows wants him dead. I like that he can't let go of the status quo! As his Great Rune tells us, Omen or not he is the rightful Lord of Leyndell. By all standards of the world they're in, he has every right to be proud of that title. And given the alternatives he's likely had presented to him (Rykard, Mohg, the Frenzied Flame), why wouldn't he believe that this stagnant existence is the best he could ask for?

He's the immovable object to our unstoppable force. There's a nobility in his commitment to that, however misguided it may be.

favorite line

"We are all forsaken. None may claim the title of Elden Lord. Thy deeds shall be met with failure, just as I..."

I love his monologue in the beginning of his fight, but the fact that this is the last thing he says just tears me apart on so many levels. It really hammers home how much of his targeted spite towards us is him projecting his own sense of failure to his lineage. He crawled all this way through the mud, gave every drop of his accursed blood for the Erdtree, and it still wasn't enough. How could we possibly have a chance when all his efforts were for naught?

No matter how many times I replay it, I always take some time just to sit next to him after he says that, listening to the rain over the capitol and the somber song of Leyndell. The city really feels like it's in mourning at that moment, all for someone they hated too much to truly understand.

brOTP

Mohg and Morgott!!! The gruesome twosome!! The dynamic duo! Every piece of art or fic that depicts them having some brotherly squabbles and shenanigans brings a little bit of life back into my eyes :')

OTP

As far as canon characters go, it's gotta be Morgott/Oleg. We love a good knight/master ship around these parts, and I think he deserved someone as devoted to protecting him as he was devoted to his cause.

Outside of that, well. I am writing an ongoing fic of Morgott and my Night's Cavalry Tarnished (who was never a Tarnished but a secret third option, but you know.) I think about them a normal amount.

nOTP

Mohg/Morgott. I just want them to have one single family relationship in their life that is remotely healthy man 😭

random headcanon

He's good with animals, and prefers the company of them to people. Most of his communication to the Night's Cavalry is through carrier falcon, but if he needs to summon them all for a meeting, he can do so with an instrument that's very similar to an Aztec death whistle.

Also, he recanted his blood through the Church of Vows. Him and Miriel have a good rapport with one another.

unpopular opinion

Respectfully, I disagree with both the "Morgott is basically the Lands Between's evangelical gay republican" take, as well as the "Morgott is a soggy baby virgin who will cry if you give him a cookie" take.

I think he is a living contradiction in a lot of ways. He is simultaneously an accursed Omen, the lowest of the low, while also having tangible evidence that he is the child of a god and of a powerful bloodline. He has held Leyndell together for more than long enough both to be aware of its corruption, and to be in a position to change it, but he can't allow himself to believe any of it needs to be changed.

He is too stuck on the idea that he needs to uphold the way things are - to prove himself "better" than his curse - to change anything. This is directly contrasting his brother Mohg, who has made an entire cult around acknowledging the unjust suffering he went through.

Like the sealing of his blood into a sword, he represses that truth, until he is so broken down that it is released all at once - painfully and without control.

Because of this, I think he would recoil at the idea of being an object of pity. He has done too much to earn a respectable position for anyone to tell him that he deserves better - even if it's true, and he should be told that.

song i associate with them

Oh god I have a whole playlist of them. But if I were to narrow it down:

Sonne by Rammstein

Momma Sed by Puscifer

Romans 10:9 by The Mountain Goats

Helvegen by Wardruna

favorite picture of them

I am not exaggerating when I say this illustration by tendermiasma re-wired my brain on a fundamental level