#but I need to point this out even though it's obvious

[liminalmemories21]

911 - Ficlet

"You know what I'm really tired of," he says when Tommy answers the door, pushing past him into the house he's only ever been to a handful of times, but whose address he still has saved in his GPS as Tommy (home).

"Please, come in.  Make yourself at home," Tommy says sourly.  "Evan, what are you doing here?"

He makes a beeline for Tommy's fridge, and god he always has such pretentious fucking taste in beer.  Good, but pretentious.  And he's such a prissy bitch when you call him out on it.  He'd loved that about him.  Loves that.

He grabs one at random, hunting for the bottle opener in the drawer next to the sink.  "Maddie thinks I need to learn how to be alone again."  Takes a swallow.  Tommy just stands there in the doorway, staring at him, not moving.  "She's wrong.  Couldn't manage to graduate from college, but I've got a fucking PhD in how to be alone."  Takes another swig, and then pauses to look at the label, but this is actually really good.  "What I need to learn is how to get someone to want to stay.

He looks at Tommy, who's still frozen in the doorway.

"She agrees with you, by the way.  Also thinks I'm in love with Eddie."  Takes another drink and then goes to root through Tommy's pantry for the doritos he knows are there somewhere, because Tommy won't admit it, but he loves them.

Makes a low triumphant noise when he finds them.  Takes a handful and holds the bag out ot Tommy, "You want some?"  Tommy shakes his head mutely.

He shrugs, "Your loss."  Crunches his way though a few.  "You're both wrong, you know.  Even if it would be really fucking convenient for the narrative."  Tommy starts to say something, and he cuts him off.  "Am I sad that my best friend is gone?  Yes.  Am I not dealing well living in his house?  Also yes.  Fucking sue me."  Crunches a few more chips and chases it with a swallow of beer.  "Eddie's house was one of the first places I found where I was always welcome.  He trusted me to take care of the most important thing in the world to him.  I think I get to be upset that he moved back to Texas.  I get why he went.  I don't even disagree with it.  I wish my parents had loved me half that much.  I still get to be upset about it."  Points the beer bottle at Tommy.  "Okay?"

Tommy holds up his hands.  "Okay."

He nods.  Takes the last swallow of beer in the bottle.  "What was I saying?"

Tommy shakes his head.  "I have no idea.  Evan, why are you here?"

He frowns.  "Oh, I came to apologize."

Tommy's eyebrows go up.  "This was an apology?"

He waves a hand.  Contemplates whether he wants another beer.  "No.  I wanted to apologize for what I said, about not having feelings for everyone I slept with.  That wasn't about you, but I realized that probably wasn't obvious."

"No," Tommy says, and finally crosses the kitchen to get a beer of his own.  "It wasn't."

He takes the second beer when Tommy holds it out to him.  He can uber home if he has to.  "I was mad," he offers.

"Got that, thanks."

He snorts without really meaning too.  "I missed this."  Tommy's eyebrows go up.  "The way you're bitchy and mean."  Sits down at the table opposite Tommy.  "I missed you.  I don't know if I'm still in love with you, but I know I'm not over you, no matter how many things I bake."

"Bake?"  Tommy echoes.

"I baked every time I wanted to call you, or thought about you.  I could have opened a bakery with what I made."  Rubs his hand down his jeans.  "With what I'm still making."  Risks a look at Tommy from under his lashes.

"Okay," Tommy says slowly.  "So, if the comment about not having feelings for everyone you sleep with wasn't aimed at me, who was it aimed at?"

He grimaces.  "Everyone?  No, really.  Everyone keeps telling me to get back on the horse, or there are other fish in the sea - and seriously, what's with all the animal metaphors.  It's creepy."  Takes a breath.  "So I did.  I tried that.  Downloaded grindr and hinge, went to a bar.  Hooked up with a girl.  Hooked up with a guy.  Didn't like it."  Rubs his hand on his pants again.  Takes a nervous swallow of beer.  "The thing is, I want it to be true.  I want to have feelings for the people - person - I'm sleeping with.  But the only person I want that with is you.  And you keep leaving."

"Evan."

He closes his eyes at the sound of Tommy saying his name.  "That's not fair?"

"No," Tommy admits.  "It's fair.  I run before I can get my heart broken.  That's my MO.  Doesn't," he lets out a shaky laugh.  "Doesn't seem to be working well when it comes to you."

He puts his hand on the table, palm up.  "Were you serious about Saturday?"

Tommy stares at his hand.  "Yes?"

"Pick me up at 7?  Not," he adds hastily, "Micelli's.  That place has bad karma."

Tommy lets out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob.  He can relate.  "Not Micelli's," he promises.  Then, "I'm not over you either."

He nods.  "Good.  Maybe we can both learn how to not be alone."

"I was always good at math," Tommy says, and finally finally takes his hand.

[standamianwayne]

yandere!batfam/damian’s twin!reader

cw: one (1) cuss word, underage drinking ig? (reader and dami have like two sips of beer lol), i can’t write a fight/sparring scene to save my life oops

The silence in the gym was almost eerie.

Sure, there were the sounds of soft panting and muttered curses, hand and feet meeting skin and bone, and the occasional thump when one gets knocked to the ground. Those were normal when it came to you and Damian and sparring. What wasn’t normal was the lack of another presence.

The two of you were hardly ever alone nowadays, with how big your family is. Sometimes it’s nice, seeing as how it was just the two of you for a while. But, though you’d never tell each other, you did miss your twin.

Damian missed you too, but he certainly didn’t miss the way you went easy on him. You deny it, of course, but the two of you were evenly matched in every way when it came to combat. If you tried as much as he did, you would tie at the very least, but even when you were younger you’d let him win. If he gave 100% (which he always did, thank you), you would give 99%, it was just a fact.

The fight ends like every other one does, with Damian knocking you to the floor and pinning you there. There’s a sense of pride when he defeats an opponent, an inflation of his ego. He doesn’t feel that.

The two of you don’t talk much, trying to catch your breath and cool down. A bead of sweat rolls down your side when Damian breaks the silence between you — something he hasn’t done since… you’re not sure when.

“You should try harder.” He says. His eyes are pointed at the ground, but his face is fixed into a glare. There’s a hint of a sneer on his lips, trying to bite back a snarky comment.

“…I’m trying as hard as I can,” you reply, a huff leaving your lips. It’s a mix of frustration and a bit of guilt. Is it a crime that you want your little (less than an hour, but still!) brother to win? At the same time, you can tell what he’s thinking: that you go easy on him. Which, truth be told… okay yeah maybe he has a point.

You don’t see him as inferior, you don’t think that you have to lower yourself for his benefit. For others, it’s impossible to see past his steely green gaze, to truly get ahold of his thoughts. For you, it’s obvious: he thinks the opposite— you see him as a kid still.

“Obviously not,” Damian snaps his head up to glare at you. For a moment, you can almost see the demon that everyone else does, though that thought quickly washes away. “Stop going easy on me. I’m not weak, in case you needed reminding.” He spits out the word like it’s bile. To him, it may as well be.

“I did not,” You furrow your eyebrows in return. Not quite a glare, more so a stern look. “I don’t think that of you, you know that.”

“Oh, do I? You surely don’t act like it.” He rises from his sitting position, now standing over you. You don’t bother looking up, instead letting your eyebrows raise as your expression stays flat. “You hold yourself back,” it’s almost a scoff that leaves his mouth, “you always have. I can take a hit— I don’t need you to treat me like I’m still some brat!”

“Don’t you like winning?” You ask, leaning back on your sore palms, relaxed as ever. “I’m already putting in effort to fight you, I don’t get why you can’t just take the victory.”

“Because it’s not an even match!” You aren’t sure if you’ve ever seen your brother this mad frustrated before. “And clearly whatever ‘effort,’” he uses air quotes, also something you’re not sure you’ve ever seen him do, “you’re putting in isn’t enough.”

You can help but roll your eyes, glancing away from him. “Fine, whatever,” you concede, figuring the fight isn’t worth it. “Next time we spar, I’ll kick your ass.”

It’s weird, if anyone else had said that to Damian, he’d probably scratch their eyes out. With you, he lets his lips curl into a snarky grin. “You better,” he nods. You nod back.

With that settled, you return to your routines. ‘Next time’ rolling in your brains.

Of all the amenities Wayne Manor has to offer, you’ve become quite fond of the outdoor pool. Not only is it great for exercising in general, but you have a habit of coming out here late at night. Like now, for example.

You aren’t a drinker, not really. Occasionally, Bruce will let you have a glass of wine or something at dinner. It’s not like you necessarily enjoy alcohol, but when you saw a pack of beer in the fridge — well, who are you to pass up an opportunity?

So, you sat on the edge of the pool, the bottom half of your legs submerged in the water with a beer bottle in hand. It was a bit chilly out, but it was a rare night off for you — hard to complain, really.

You don’t bother to look when you hear footsteps approaching from behind. Why bother, you already know to whom they belong.

Damian plops down next to you. A bit ungracefully, might you add, considering his whole ‘poise and proper’ demeanor he tends to portray. Wordlessly, you grab the unopened bottle and hand it over to him. Wordlessly, he pops it open and takes a sip.

“Ugh,” he sneers, pulling the bottle away from his lips, “this tastes awful. Who even buys this stuff?”

You shrug, because you don’t really know either. Probably Dick, you guess, but it doesn’t really matter. “It’s beer, nobody buys it for the taste,” you point out.

“Fair…” A light silence stretches for a few moments, only broken by the water rippling around your legs. The lights from the pool are still on, you told Alfred you’d be the one to turn them off, illuminating you both in blue.

“Do you think,” you start hesitantly, “that we, like, made a mistake by staying here? That we’re too… different?” You look up from your lap to glance to your brother. Even you aren’t too sure why you said that. It’s not like you’ve been made to feel unwelcome (well, not by your family, anyway).

It’s another moment of silence, something that seems to be all too common between you two nowadays, before Damian responds. “No,” he says simply with a small shake of his head, “I don’t feel that way at all.”

“Hm,” you hum appraisingly. You aren’t too sure what to say next, so you tuck your lips between your teeth, only undoing so to take a sip of your drink. “Just me, then.”

heyyy…. hey… how yall doing 😅😅😅😅 uh so… been two months! sorry for not uploading yall. lot has happened, got busy, and i’ve been on and off sick these past two months. but! hopefully i’m back?? eh who knows.

thank you guys for supporting me again! i say this every time i upload but oh well lol. love you guys 😛😛

[bruthaewwwww]

Paige finally decides to tell Drew that A is her girlfriend. She knows Drew loves Azzi — maybe a little too much — and she’s scared of how he’ll react. When she finally says it, Drew’s face falls. His hands curl into fists at his sides, and his voice cracks when he asks, “So… does this mean Azzi’s gonna start liking you more than me?” His fear isn’t about Paige being happy — it’s about losing the special bond he has with Azzi....

Do you like Paige more then me?

A/n - hey guys this was fun to write! Send more requests! It’s just a little blurb

Before going to visit Paige’s family for summer vacation, Azzi and Paige had talked about telling the family about their relationship. Paige knew her dad would approve but she was worried about drew. She knew that Drew would love her no matter what but she also knew that he had a crush on Azzi. It was just a little boy thing because he grew up around her and who wouldn’t like her? It still made Paige nervous though. 

———

Drew’s little feet carried him out of the house and onto the lawn as his dad, Paige, and Azzi exited the car and started unpacking for their summer break. 

“Paigey!” Drew shouted as she ran up to her.

“Hey buddy I missed you!” Paige brought her brother into a tight hug. After the brief connection with his sister drew focused his attention on Azzi. 

“Azzi! Guess what!” Drew said, coming up to her and grabbing her hand to lead her into the house. Even though she was carrying a suitcase, she had to put it down.

“What drewski?” Azzi asked with genuine care for the young boy.

“I knew you were coming and I got you flowers!” He pulled out a bouquet of pink flowers that he had clearly had help picking out. “Paige said they were your favorite so it’s technically from the both of us.”

“Awee that’s so sweet drew!”

Paige came up behind them, a suitcase in hand. Placing her hand around Azzi’s waist and on the small of her back she looked at Azzi with love. 

“Hey, Azzi wanna come see my room?” The words pulled Azzi out of the trance she was in from Paige’s touch. “I changed it recently.”

“Of course bud” Azzi smiled at the young boy. She had grown up with him. He was almost like another little brother. 

“Hey, Drew.” The words left Paige’s mouth quickly and sounded a little rushed. “Azzi and I want to talk to you while we’re in there.” Azzi looked at Paige with understanding. The conversation about their dating would finally be something they would share with Drew.

“Ok.” Drew didn’t acknowledge what his sister had said and went right to his room pulling Azzi behind him.

Drew showed Azzi around the room where he had moved his bed and added two new posters to his wall. 

“Isn’t it awesome?” His toothless smile looked up at her. 

“Drew it’s so cool!” Azzi laughed with drew about some of the old pictures around his room including a young photo of Paige he had kept.

“Hey Drew why don’t you sit I need to tell you something.” As the words left the blonde mouth, Azzi moved over by the door so that she way near by but they still had space. A nervous expression creeped across Drew’s face.

“Did I do something wrong?” Drew looked up at Paige with big brown eyes. “No buddy I just want to tell you something. I love Azzi and she is my girlfriend. I wanted to tell you because you’re my brother and I love you.” Drew’s expression turned into an obvious frown. 

“Does this mean Azzi doesn’t like me anymore? I thought she liked me better.” Paige laughed but secretly she thought it was so sweet how much Drew valued his relationship with Azzi. At this point Azzi left her spot by the door and went over to Drew and picked him up. “Drew how could you say that?” She laughed in a way that Paige could never forget. She was so lucky she found someone who cared not just about her but her family. Azzi continued talking while Paige was lost in thought.

“Of course you’re still my favorite don’t be silly.” Azzi stuck her tongue out at Paige after she said it. “I love Paige differently that how I love you. I love you like a brother.”

Drew smiled but looked at ask with confusion. “So than what kind of way do you love Paige?” Azzi looked at Paige with a smile. “You’ll know one day buddy.” Paige said as she planted a kiss on Azzi’s temple. 

[towasdandelion]

Texting Mortkranken, Vagastrom and Jabberwock ghouls "I miss you" in the middle of the night

You've been close for a long time and now that you're a couple... Sending a text like this feels more natural to you.

Jiro can't help that his work side is showing. He keeps a close eye on your health, even closer when you two get together. Sometimes things are obvious to him, sometimes not and it really is a mystery. But one thing is sure - he cares about you deeply and will always help in any way he can.

It will take a while for Yuri to get used to showing his softer side. He's all huffy about how you don't believe in him apparently. But medical work was always a big part of his life, so deep down he understands how you might feel. Will do his best to show you he cares but please, don't point it out. He will get really embarrassed.

Leo... Sigh. This little shit takes every single chance to annoy you. Yes, even in moments like that. He can't help it. I'm pretty sure that's how he shows his love though. When he does come over there will be no end of teasing about how you can't live without him and how great he is. Do yourself a favor and shut him up. How? That's up to you.

Sho is so soft for you it's unbelievable. Sometimes he can't believe it himself. He will tease you just a little bit before coming over and giving all the attention you need. It doesn't matter if it's 3 or 4am. He will be there. And not empty handed, no. He's going to quickly whip something up and bring it with him so you two can enjoy it.

A red light goes off in Alan's head. His protective side kicks in immediately. He's like a big guard dog (in the best way possible) always making sure you're doing alright. He might be kinda awkward with affection at first, but it's not going to stop him from coming over and spending as much time by your side as you need.

Towa is happy. He's either very simple or hard to please, no in-between. He's really happy you need him and you're reaching out to let him know! He's ready to shower you with affection and attention 24/7. One word. One word and he's glued to your side all day. He won't shy away from showing you how much he loves you.

He might appear disinterested, but believe me, he's not. Ren's heart is racing and he's muttering something under his breath as he's getting dressed to go see you. You missed him. It made him feel weird, (he's obviously in love but refuses to say it out loud for now) kind of warm inside. Poor guy is trying so hard to hide how much you affect him.

Haru just straight up panics at first, trying to recall past week in his head to make sure you were included in it. Once you let him know you just wish to see him, he smiles. There's nothing better than feeling wanted. Of course, Peekaboo is coming along too. Please give them both equal attention or there will be complaints.

[shopwitchvamp]

Despairing frustrated rage about tariffs, and only having bad choices ahead:

I've been avoiding making this post for some time now, but today in the latest tariff threats we're staring down the barrel of an additional 25% tariff being put in place on April 2nd for any country that imports Venezuelan oil. If it actually happens that'll put tariffs on Chinese made goods up to 45% (as far as I understand it at least..) and with that, we will have certainly passed the point that I can continue to just eat costs and hope to hold on until things calm down again someday maybe.

With that said we'll be facing a number of pretty much only bad choices in figuring out how to survive this.

A look at those and what might have to change soon under the cut-

I'll be at a decision point on April 2nd, if +25% tariffs happen on top of the 20% that's already in place. Here's the potential actions I'll have to take to keep the shop from crashing & burning within a few months:

1) Raising prices. Well it's obvious that this would be one way to deal with costs going up. Even if my costs are going up 45%, I can't exactly raise prices by 45% and expect anyone to want (or be able) to buy our clothes though. But price increases of 10-20% would have to happen to keep the business sustainable. This would look like mini/skater skirts going from $49.99 to $59.99 (+20%), midis/joggers going from $64.99 to $74.99 (+15%), and maxis going from $69.99 to $79.99 (+14%). I don't want to do this, I will not be making more profit from this (profit would still be down compared to pre-tariffs), and I don't expect it to be received well, but if tariffs are in fact that high.. I don't see any way around a price increase.

2) Not keeping D Size on hand / Additionally raising the price on D Size. So the first part of this, not keeping D Size on hand, already happens at times because certain designs sell so rarely in that size that I can't justify ordering D Size anymore. I always make it available during preorders though, and if any preorders come in for D Size then I'll always get at least a little extra of them (if nothing else than because I usually have to order more than what comes in for preorders to hit the order minimum). I will need to consider making this the way things work deliberately and all of the time because I can't afford the higher cost of D Size only to have it end up sitting in our inventory and not selling when it's on hand. To give an example, D Size skater skirts cost me nearly twice as much as A or B Size. I've been relying on things averaging out alright since I sell so many more A/B/C than D, but with the potential of +45% costs in tariffs it will make D Size so much more expensive that this no longer works. I'll be approching a point of losing money on D Size, and unfortunately the quickest way to lower my average cost is to not order D Size as often. For part two of this one, I could consider raising the price for D Size in the shop so that it's not affecting the overall cost average as much. It may come to that, but I don't think it's the best or most useful idea because I know it will not only upset people- it will also drive down D Size demand even lower, and when it's already the size that sells the least it makes it make even less sense to keep D Size on hand most of the time. So we circle back around to probably just making D Size available mainly during preorder & not keeping them on hand.

3) Purposefully scaling down. There's three parts to this one. One has to do with guest artists, one has to do with my partner, and one is just the scale of the business altogether. For guest artists- with tariffs cutting into profit margins I may end up at a point of not having much to pay them (profits are split 50/50) for their art or to pay me & my partner for our work. We were starting to plan another large collection including guests artists for this summer, but I'm having to rethink if it will be possible or if it makes any sense now. Projects like that might need to be put off until the situation changes. For my partner- my partner was able to quit his job in 2022 and since then he's worked with me full time on the business. If things start looking rocky enough, he would be looking at job hunting for at least part time IT work and pulling back on how involved he is with the business. For the business as a whole- I had a lot of plans in the works for new designs, new collabs, new collections, new types of clothing, etc etc. and all of that could have to be put off, slowed down, or not happen at all. Especially if my partner ends up going back to a "regular" job, I'd be looking at returning the shop to something more like how it was in the 2020-2021 era. Far less new releases, less restocks, keeping less inventory on hand, and so on. Because money/tariffs aside, I would have to go back to handling most things on my own and I can't operate at our current scale solo.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading and I hope I haven't instilled too much fear & panic. We are doing ok right now. We can keep doing ok for at least a few more months even if the tariffs happen. But I want to keep you all informed about what things my look like further down the line. It really sucks to have been doing so well and grown so much over the past few years and to have it all crushed seeminly overnight, but that's what we might be facing. I'll do my best to keep Witch Vamp alive even if it means going backwards to where it's more of a hobby level project and not a livelihood sustaining kind of thing. Then maybe in the future we can power back up when conditions are better..

And who knows, since things are so chaotic and uncertain there's always the chance we luck out and don't get hit with a bunch of this stuff. Right now chances are sounding slim.. but it's possible.

I'll let you all know how things are looking when we maybe know more on April 2nd. See ya then 🖤

[pseudoquiddity]

DID YOU KNOW? The Stamatins share a candle in the theater of death - implication being they share a soul, a heart, a life. But did you ALSO KNOW that the Saburovs do too? I've been thinking about how similar the Stamatins and the Saburovs are and how P2 is actively comparing them, and I think P3 will make that comparison very important to their characters. A long thing that only I care about under the cut:

For a game that's all about love, the Stamatins and Saburovs are the only characters who conventionally "share" love as a couple and have a relationship (The Kains are all disparate, so are the Olgimskys. Everyone's wives are dead and siblings are opposed. Maria and Khan are like Vlad Jr. and Capella - that's another conversation entirely).

Alexander and Andrey are both made gentle when taking care of their addict-other-half. Andrey is focused on masculine posturing and masculinity in general, as is Alexander through his role as a town leader (mister ruler of the Rod, the spine of the town). Peter, who is archetypically more sensitive and artistic leans toward the feminine (not to strip him of his masculinity, but this is in comparison to Andrey. Because this game talks about binaries, Peter is everything Andrey isn't because two of anything implies a binary). He has almost supernatural visions that don't always pan out that he can't always communicate - the same can be said of Katerina.

Both families care for their daughter - Clara and the Polyhedron ("Have you ever lost a child? Well, mine was just murdered! My brother's, too!") But when Clara leaves the Saburovs and the Polyhedron is near-collapse, both the Saburovs and Stamatins agree to take care of Grace. Essentially, all parties are willing to think of themselves as parents - the Saburovs want so badly to be mother and father, though the Stamatins don't concretely say whether they see themselves as two parent-brothers sharing joint ownership of an idea or if, instead, they exist in a nebulous, undefined marriage that produced a biological miracle.

And, naturally, because they're so similar, the two families hate each other...

And yet, I think it's clear the game stresses that the Saburovs' relationship, for all of its faults and miscommunications, is healthy while there is something miserably wrong with the Stamatins. It's created parallels so that they can be easily compared and becomes obvious when they don't line up.

In the Diurnal ending, Katerina and Alexander's dialogue changes depending on who dies. Katerina and Alexander mourn for each other in their own way, or if neither is dead, they renew their wedding vows underneath a Cathedral bell. What's also sweet is that, on an earlier day, they'll both ask you to help their other half (Katerina wants Artemy to doctor Alexander's stress because Alexander is too proud not to bear everything himself. Alexander wants Artemy to doctor Katerina's delusions because Alexander can't decide whether they're real or not).

On the ALTERNATE side, in the Diurnal ending, Peter's dialogue never changes, no matter if Andrey lives or dies. But Andrey's does - and pretty radically. Andrey only mourns the Polyhedron when Peter's alive, but if he's dead, Andrey's conversation is much less explosive. In what might have been a mirror of the Saburovs' situation, when you go to give Andrey prophylaxis, like Alexander of Katerina - he says that he doesn't need help but his brother does. When you talk to Peter, he doesn't mention his brother and tells you to check on Anna. He even says that he "should have left this god-forsaken place two years ago. Get clean and move away for good," with no mention of Andrey.

It seems like, at every moment, Andrey is attempting to connect with Peter in the same way the Saburovs do - but he's certainly more of a zealout about it. Katerina and Alexander deny that there's anything wrong with them and tell you to check on their partner, but they don't say what Andrey does, and what Artemy points out as abnormal: "Take good care of my brother, doctor. If I kick the bucket, so be it." And at every opportunity, Peter turns away from Andrey. By his own admittance, the only thing keeping him here is his addiction (isn't that suspect) and the Polyhedron.

So, to me... It seems like the Stamatins and the Saburovs have a similar, if not the same, relationship, but what sets them apart is that the Stamatins are an extreme - and quite possibly self-serving in their love (twins, naturally). In P1, the Stamatins were mutually destructive. Andrey fed Peter alcohol, Peter never sought to break free of it despite his resentment, which meant that Andrey would never break the cycle either and would continue grinding himself down for his brother. (If you've ever read a single book that uses incest as a symptom of deeper issues, then the P1 Stamatins are rife with the same kind of themes incest is often used as shorthand for, so just imagine all of those themes for me so I won't re-account all of the P1 Stamatins) But here, the duel-destruction is different. Andrey is smothering Peter, through alcohol or other means (to ensure he stays), and this is killing Peter. Peter wants to separate, and this is killing Andrey. Neither wants to kill the other, but if they don't, they'll kill themselves.

The Saburovs are on either side of their candle, facing a wall, placed side-by-side with the light at their backs. But Andrey is on his knees in front of Peter and their candle, in service to their shared heart. I think the Stamatins are as miserable as they are because their love isn't mutual - which isn't to say they don't mutually love each other, but it's not being given equally. They can't maintain the balance that the Saburovs can.

The P3 Bachelor will have to deal with both the Saburovs and the Stamatins. In a demo mindmap bubble, he can kill Katerina if he doesn't treat her correctly. Likewise, if he doesn't interfere properly, Peter will also die. The Bachelor is forced to maintain a balance in his own mind, but I wonder if he'll have to walk lines elsewhere. Would it be better to keep the manic[Andrey]-depressive[Peter] Stamatins in sustained conflict, or would the death of either twin be more beneficial... How important is it to keep the Saburovs happy, and for them to not end up like the Stamatins...

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

The Homeless Post

Hey, guys. I've been working up the nerve to post this for a while. I'm putting most of it under a cut but I'll give the TLDR up here:

We are going to be homeless for an unspecified amount of time due to some legal issues - whole separate post. We will be living out of the car and a tent, so essentially long-term camping. We need some gear and other assorted items. Here is our wishlist.

Signal boosting is appreciated for obvious reasons.

I have a Paypal.me and a Ko-Fi; the Ko-Fi has a store that will soon have stuff available on it, and a subscription model. I also have Chime, Paypal, and Cashapp, all with the cashtag NovasPrime. At a later date I may set up a gofundme but I don't really want to right now, because guilt and self-internalized ableism is a helluva drug.

On to the story.

So, we were told (mid-December) that we needed to be out by the end of February, from the place we were living in, or eviction would be filed. I don't want an eviction on my record, so I started the process of working towards that goal.

I quickly realized that there was an Issue, and the Issue was that we simply cannot get into any of the low-income housing because… Raven has a felony "failure to comply" warrant in Oregon.

We were surprised, because we thought they were in compliance, but it turns out… No. No, they were not. The records of their attending therapy and anger management were not being sent to the place. On top of that, I discovered that they had ordered Raven to do community service, and even though they were helping with lots of causes and orgs down here, it doesn't count.

Why, you may ask? Well, for one, it wasn't being documented. Not a huge issue, it can be. But also…. They wanted Raven to do THEIR community service.

Which they wanted to charge $40 a day for.

Raven is a disabled veteran. They are limited in the type of volunteer work they can do, but also? They can't afford $40 a day for 30 days. Who the hell can? Why would that be a thing?

After a couple of phone calls, I realized we just needed to go to Oregon. So I began planning for THAT. Our roomie was still adamant about the end of February, so I started planning. We got a storage unit and started sorting shit, and packing it, and slowly transferring it to the storage unit.

And then Shit happened, as it does. The car started overheating. It has also come due for an oil change. It needs a transmission flush, too. And new brakes. Some of this I can do myself, but some of it I can't. I have a friend who could help me do most or all of it, but he's on house arrest until March 25th (he is in recovery now, but drunk driving is a bad thing, guys. Don't do it). He said he'll help after he gets off, which is awesome of him, but like. That's still about a week away (as of right now, because he works) before I can even get the overheating taken care of, let alone the rest.

In the midst of all of this, I was also trying to figure out a timeline... and realized I couldn't, because we had no idea how long we were going to be in Oregon. I have a few friends scattered throughout the state, but I wasn't counting on being able to stay with anyone. We have three cats and two people. What to do?

A friend of mine agreed to watch two of the cats for me for as long as it takes. She has her own house and cats of her own. So, until the car started overheating, we brought the two girl cats over once a week to get used to the place and meet her cats.

But we weren't packing fast enough. Winter is a rough time for both of us because of our disabilities; the weather makes it painful to move. We also had to sort through 20 years of assorted shit; at one point I had a life that hadn't fallen fully apart, so I kept everything. Plus, I had all of my dad's shit that I inherited. I've finally accepted that I can part with most of the useless stuff, but some of it I can't bear to. TLDR: our stuff is mostly still at the old place.

I was able to work out a deal with the friend who's taking care of our cats, to crash at her house for a month. WE and the CATS were out of the old place by March 1, but our shit wasn't, and we've had issues packing it up and moving it. Luckily, old roomie has agreed to just tack an extra month of rent onto what I owe him (to be paid back when we get back from the debacle in Oregon) so we're slowly moving things to storage. I'm just constantly filling the car with water to keep it from overheating and praying that the engine can take it.

However, here's the thing. The Big Thing.

We're technically homeless now, and we'll be Real Homeless as of April 1. The car cannot currently make it to Oregon (honestly? I'd rather buy a cheap minivan or SUV, and leave the car here with my kid, but I simply don't have the money, even though there's a ton of them for sale around here in good shape).

We're going to have to rough it for a while. Raven can get a pass to camp for free at all Nevada State Parks for $30 a year, so we're getting that on payday, and we have a decent tent and sleeping bag (singular, but it'll do). I have some assorted camping gear, even. But there's a lot we do need to just….fix our shit and be able to get to Oregon. Oregon has one of these as well, and it allows 10 days of camping per month. It's free and we've already applied for it. California has one too, but you have to apply in-person if you're not a CA resident. So that'll happen in a bit.

But we are gonna need… help. Raven gets VA disability. $2200ish a month. Sounds like a lot right? It's not. It's really not.

Between car insurance, gas, fixing the car, general car maintenance, phone bills, food (we qualify for a whopping $26 a month in SNAP benefits), things we have to buy to fulfill our end of bargains here, and the camping gear we DON'T have, next month is looking pretty awful.

While Raven is in jail, they get no benefits. I'm also disabled, but juuuust disabled enough on paper that I can't get disability (as you can guess, this is going to be even harder now in the Trump administration, so I'm just working on geting documentation of my disabilities so that when he's gone I can apply). I can't hold down more than really really part-time work because of pain and mental health issues, even though I have been desperately trying to find one. So I'm going to have to survive off of doordash, most likely.

If Raven's jail time isn't going to be that long, it's not that big a deal.

They could be in jail for up to six months.

So, why this post?

One, to explain that my posting will be very sporadic and frenzied when I do. More than usual, anyway.

Two, because I'm going to need your help. There are several ways to help.

Encouraging notes! Currently we have a PO Box, listed above. When we go to Oregon, if we're going to be there for more than a week or so, I'm getting another PO Box and getting mail forwarded from that one to the Oregon one. Digital notes are nice too. I just really like postcards, little cards, letters, etc. Pictures of cool shit where you live. Whatever. Something to keep my spirits up. Anything.

I have set up a wishlist, as seen above. I know, we don't like Amazon, but I don't know where else to do a wishlist that doesn't like. Give out a home address. Since I'm having this stuff shipped to a friend's house, I really don't want to do that. Once I'm in OR, I'll find out where I can have things shipped. PO Boxes are hit-and-miss with Amazon.

As noted above, I am accepting donations and I have a Ko-Fi store and subscriptions. I am working on getting things put onto the Ko-Fi store on a pay-what-you-can model; anything from short fiction to Am Adult instruction sheets to 3D designs, whatever I can manage at any given time. Raven will also be doing drawings and such. I'm also working on making things available to anyone who chooses to subscribe!

Signal boosting this post. I need as many people to see it as possible, not just for monetary benefit, but so I can find people in Oregon maybe willing to let me and my one cat crash on their couch or pitch the tent in their back yard. I'm also going to be documenting all of this and getting documentation on the case in the first place, because Raven shouldn't have even been arrested. So I need people to see this so that word gets out about this kind of thing. Oregon needs to change some shit.

Thanks for reading. I'll have updates as I can.

[2-the-moon-and-2-saturn]

i do think jackie loved shauna a lot, as more than a friend, and it’s obvious from how she looks at shauna. she acted like a great friend too at times – she did look out for shauna and was proactive in it, like how she slipped her her mom’s pills so shauna wouldn’t have to suffer through the flight, and gave her her necklace as a token of protection. even adult shauna thinks of jackie as someone who protected her, as she hallucinates jackie warning her of danger more than once.

however, jackie also talked down to shauna. she demeaned her and knew that she had a huge influence over shauna, which she used to her own advantage. and she made sure shauna knew how much she needed jackie, asserting her own position as a great friend time and again (for example, also in the plane scene when she did those nice things for shauna).

even when doing the activity she proposed in which she had to say nice things about shauna, she made a joke of it and said a bunch of things i’m sure she loved, but that sounded negative. the good thing she mentioned was selfish too, as it spoke to shauna’s ability to be a good friend to her.

i don’t know how much of the bad ways jackie treated shauna was actually a bad coping mechanism with the fact that she loved shauna, but i do think melissa was right in saying jackie kind of treated shauna like shit. because at times, she really did. i haven’t forgotten that jackie she was also the one to first try to send her best friend out into the very cold woods. if shauna hadn’t put her foot down, she could have been the one found under the snow the next morning (though i don’t think she would have, because jackie probably would have come down to get her and reassert how good she was for doing so).

anyways, my point is that, like everyone in this series, jackie was a layered, complex character (and she was just a kid). she and shauna loved each other in ways i think neither of them could really process, and so both acted selfishly and manipulatively.

maybe they could have figured it out eventually if they’d had time, if they’d never gotten into the plane crash. that’s their iteration of the tragedy this entire show seems to boil down to – these girls who never really got to grow into better versions of themselves, because one way or another, that potential died in the woods.

[jeremiahhawkinsfanfics]

JAYCE & VIKTOR FIND THE CLOTHING OF JAYCE’S FATHER IN THE ATTIC 👔🥹🕸️

… and Viktor’s worst fear is revealed!!!

Read the whole fic on AO3 😉

“No, Jayce, you are not going to Zaun dressed like that.”

Their research was progressing well. Long nights at the lab had finally allowed them to stabilize the crystals safely, paving the way for their first Hexgate experiments. They were on the verge of designing their first prototype, but were running low on crystals. Even though he was a bit reluctant to bypass the rules now they had the official approval of the Academy and the support of the Council, Jayce had admitted that Viktor was right: it would be a waste to let weeks of progress stall over consuming administrative procedures when the materials they needed were within reach, in the Undercity.

“Time is critical”, Viktor had pointed out. “The faster we figure this out, the sooner we can improve people’s lives”.

This morning, as they decided it was the right time to go for an excursion in the Lanes, Jayce took his courage in both hands, and proudly arrive at the lab, ready to face Zaun’s dangers for the sake of science and progress. He couldn’t have been more surprised when he was greeted by a mocking look on his partner’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Jayce asked, genuinely puzzled.

“You could just as well go down with ‘Piltie’ written on your face” Viktor said, gesturing to Jayce’s Academy uniform and warm coat. “A perfect target for robbers… or burglars”.

“Burglars? Don’t you mean muggers?” Jayce asked, confused by the choice of word.

“Burglars can spot you, follow you to find your home, and plan something” Viktor clarified, his tone flat, as if underlying something perfectly obvious. “But yes, muggers are also a concern.”.

Jayce’s eyes widen in realization, his heart skipping a beat. “Could it be that I got spotted in the Undercity last time? And that’s why my place was broken into?”

The memory of the explosion – the force of it throwing him against the wall like a ragdoll, his ears ringing from the shock before he passed out – still burned in his mind. That was another reason Jayce wasn’t thrilled about breaking the rules again to retrieve more crystals. The thought lingered as he tried to push it aside. He knew Viktor was probably right about the dangers in Zaun, but it didn’t make him any more eager to go back.

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” he asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

Viktor raised an eyebrow, already preparing to leave, securing a bag under his worn coat.

“It will be once we stop at your mother’s place for you to change clothes,” Viktor answered flatly. "What worries you?”

“Last time… well, you know…” Jayce trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence. He knew they could both remember the missing wall of his latest appartment.

Viktor nodded in understanding and offered a reassuring smile.

“Last time, someone broke into your house. We won’t let that happen at the lab. Besides, you’re with me now. We won’t get followed, nor scammed.”

Jayce smiled back, grateful for his partner’s calm certainty. Viktor was right. It was just a matter of being careful this time. And with an authentic Zaunite by his side, navigating the dangers of the Undercity would be far easier. Anyway, he knew all too well that if he didn’t go with him, Viktor would go on his own – and Jayce was far too scared of what could happen to him. Not that he doubted him, but Viktor still was crippled – he couldn’t run if he was attacked and would be an easy target for any ill-intentioned aggressor down there. Jayce couldn’t let that happen. Never.

Looking at his partner, he couldn’t help but notice his clothing.

“And why exactly do I need to change, while you are still wearing your uniform and your coat?”

“Because I know the people we’re going to meet” Viktor replied. “And because I don’t have a rich Piltie face”.

Jayce frowned, still doubting the logic, but he knew better than to contradict Viktor when he was certain about something. When Viktor decided he was right, trying to argue was a nightmare — by now, Jayce knew to pick his battles. They stopped at the Talis House, and spent the next hour rifling through Jayce’s wardrobe. Viktor inspected each item with a critical eye.

“Don’t you have anything that doesn’t look brand new?” he asked with a weary voice.

“Nothing here is brand new, Vik.” Jayce replied with a laugh.

“Well, everything looks like it is” his partner sighed.

“I won’t apologize for taking care of my things”

They were about to give up when suddenly, an idea struck Jayce’s mind. There were old and worn clothes in this house, but they weren’t in his room. A shiver ran down his spine as he instinctively looked up. He never dared to even think about it before — would they even be his size?

“Wait… I think I have an idea… Wait for me here.”

Before anything, Jayce made sure his mother wasn’t home—she planned to meet a friend for the day, but he needed to be certain she had already gone. He knew she wouldn’t like what he was about to do. When he knew the path was clear, he climbed to the attic and opened the trapdoor, a heavy cloud of dust invading his nose and throat.

The smell reminded him of the last time he came here, how he had fought to get that damn mattress out of here and dragged it up to their lab. He chuckled at the memory— the fight had been worth the effort, for all the late nights of progress and the cozy mornings after. He also felt like sleeping next to each other had brought him and Viktor closer, and he was very happy about it. He had never clicked like that with anyone before. Sometime he even missed sleeping next to him, when they didn’t sleep in the lab for more than a week.

The attic was the resting ground of his family’s memories – a quiet place for his beloved childhood toys, family albums, his mother’s old books, travel souvenirs, and scratched furniture to rest in peace after a lifetime of good service. Everywhere Jayce looked, something dragged a fond smile to his face — his old telescope, from when he was fascinated by astronomy, his mother’s old sofa, where she used to knit when she was younger, and albums from when he was a baby — the ones he’d need to hide if he didn’t want his mother to embarrass him by showing them to Viktor. But he wasn’t looking for those right now.

He shuffled for a while between old boxes, forgotten objects and spider webs.

“Where on Runeterra did Mama put this…”.

Emerging from the organized chaos, the corner of something large caught his eye. There it was: an old, bulky luggage. Just seeing it shook his heart. With careful hands, he wiped away the dust that had been colonizing it for years. The luggage was so large and heavy that despite his strength, he struggled to carry it back to his bedroom.

“What’s this?” Viktor asked, sitting on the bed, raising an incredulous eyebrow as Jayce set the oversized luggage in the center of the room. Dust bunnies scattered in all directions, as though they had been awakened from a long slumber.

Jayce swallowed, his fingers brushing over the buckles, where the “T” of House Talis was engraved.

“That’s... my father’s old clothes.”

Viktor’s eyes widened, his body freezing.

“Oh…” he murmured, his voice small.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, as though there was a third person in the room – someone present through their absence, embodied by the old luggage. Jayce took a deep breath, summoning the courage to open it. The rusted hinges creaked as the clasps clicked open, and a cloud of dust billowed into the air, making them both cough.

Awaken from years-long sleep, his father’s clothes lay neatly folded, a pile of fabric preserved by time. Jayce’s hand shook as he dared to run his fingers over them, reacquainting himself with the long-forgotten textures. There was the shirt his father used to wear in the forge, the vest he wore when they went on picnics in Piltover’s parks, and the velvet trousers he’d tugged on as a child, asking for stories. Each piece seemed imbued with memories—some vivid, others faded, and many he didn’t even recall.

“Jayce, are you sure about this?” Viktor asked, his voice laced with concern.

Jayce glanced back, meeting his partner’s eyes. He could see the worry there — the deep care for how this could affect him, as though it was more dangerous than venturing into Zaun to buy illicit materials. To be fair, Viktor wasn’t wrong. It did mean something to him, but it was the only old clothes he had to work with.

“Yes, I’m sure. Come on, help me find something.”

Reluctantly, Viktor joined in, carefully inspecting the clothing in the luggage. His long and pale fingers were brushing on the old fabric with a form of respect – reverence even – that they didn’t had for Jayce’s own clothing in the wardrobe. Jayce smiled as he noticed it.

Each piece they pulled from the luggage brought a new memory to the surface. It wasn’t as painful as he feared – in fact, it was endearing, almost fun, like flipping through a forgotten family album. Jayce was relieved to realize that, he almost felt proud of himself. For so long, the precious memories with his father were tainted by the pain of grief. It wasn’t completely gone – like a very old scar – but it felt healed. Knowing he could now safely rediscover his father’s old belongings and reconnect to him brought a quiet joy in his heart. This actually felt like the closest thing he had to spending a moment with his dad since he died.

They ended up spending more time than they expected, rifling through the old luggage. Jayce marveled at the memories each item evoked. Viktor didn’t rush, smiling at the stories he told him – and Jayce appreciated his patience. It was a very intimate moment for him to share, and he couldn’t imagine anyone better than Viktor for that.

“How about this?” his partner asked holding up a shirt that must have been white before time tainted it, stained with black marks.

“Oh, that’s one of his forge shirt!” Jayce exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

He could clearly picture his father wearing it in their family forge, working close to the fire, wielding a hammer marked with the Talis symbol—the very image of a hero in Jayce’s childhood eyes. A fond smile spread across his face, and he gently took the shirt into his hands.

Jayce removed his own shirt and carefully slipped into his father’s old one. He noticed Viktor, as usual, looking away when he undressed. It had become a habit over time. It made Jayce laugh, though. It seemed ridiculous considering how many times they’d shared the same bed, barely clothed. To Jayce’s eyes, friend’s nudity wasn’t something to shy away from. He’d gotten used to it in school and during sports. But maybe Viktor didn’t had the same experience, which he could understand.

“You don’t have to turn away every time I change, you know?” Jayce chuckled.

Viktor’s cheeks flushed red, and his gaze remained fixed on the far wall. A playful smirk tugged at his lips – the one he wore when he was fighting embarrassment with irony.

“Oh, was the strip meant for my eyes? Eh, a little desperate as a flirting technique, don’t you think?” he teased, still keeping his gaze away from Jayce’s naked skin.

Jayce laughed at the jab. He had grown fond of Viktor’s humor, especially the teasing ones.

“I just meant I’m used to changing in front of friends. You get used to it when you play team sports. So, yeah, don’t feel like you have to look away.”

Viktor scoffed, but didn’t answer – neither did he turn his eyes back to him.

To Jayce’s surprise, the forge shirt fit perfectly, maybe even a little snug around the shoulders. The realization hit him hard. He was as tall as his father now—maybe even slightly larger. It felt absurd. His father had always been that towering figure — the one who bent down to ruffle his hair, kneeled to explain important things, sat him on his laps to tell stories, and laughed while carrying him on his shoulders. And now, he was the same size. What would it have been like to look his father in the eye, not as a child but as a man? The thought made something tighten in his chest, his mind overwhelmed with emotion.

A gentle hand landed on his shoulder, grounding him back in the present. He turned, meeting Viktor’s soft, concerned gaze.

“Are you ok?” his partner asked, his voice low.

Jayce smiled and nodded, though inside, his chest swelled with warmth. Yes, he was okay — moved, certainly. But he was fine. In fact, he felt proud, standing here, as tall and strong as his father had been. He was sure his father would be proud of him too. That thought wrapped around his heart like a quiet embrace, filling him with a glowing sense of connection that defied time – as if he was hugged by his dad beyond the frontier between life and death. He basked in this feeling, a bright smile shining on his face.

“Yes,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m fine.”

They continued sorting through the clothes, finally settling on an old pair of shoes that had seen better days, a velvet pair of trousers stained at the knees, and a thin coat Jayce remembered his father wearing on cool spring mornings.

“So?” Jayce asked, showing off his new look. “Do I look Zaunite?”

Viktor shrugged, an amused smile spreading across his face as he sat on the bed.

“Nothing’s going to make you look Zaunite — not any more than I can really look Piltie. But it’ll blend in. At least you’ll look the part. We just need to do something with your hair. It’s way too neat.”

“Ah, sure!” Jayce agreed, crouching down slightly so Viktor could reach his hair easier.

With hesitant hands, Viktor reached up, running his fingers through Jayce’s hair. His touch was slow, methodical, but unexpectedly gentle, more careful than Jayce had anticipated… almost appreciative. Without thinking about it, Jayce found himself leaning into his touch. His partner initiating physical contact was rare, but he loved when it happened.

“I… I think you’re good to go” Viktor stammered, satisfied with the result.

When Jayce stood, he caught sight of Viktor’s face flushed with a slight blush, his eyes deliberately trained on anything but him. Jayce almost felt bad that he hadn’t realized how uncomfortable that might have made his partner. But before he could apologize, he was abruptly interrupted.

“KURVA!!!” Viktor screamed as he hastily pulled his legs onto the bed, nearly tripping over the cover.

Jayce followed his partner's terrified gaze. On the side of the luggage, a large black spider had emerged, its long, thick legs gripping the old leather.

“Ugh… This one is ugly” Jayce conceded, his face scrunching in disgust.

“KILL IT!” Viktor screeched, his voice higher-pitched than usual.

Jayce turned to his partner. His eyes were wide, locked on the uninvited eight-legged guest. He couldn’t help but stare back, incredulous. The situation wasn’t new to him – he’d been the hero of the day for his mother when a mouse had lost its way in the house. But Viktor? The measured, logical, composed scientist who was not afraid to break in Heimerdinger’s office, launch dangerous experiments on unstable crystals, or head down to the Undercity for materials without flinching… terrified on something so small?

“Vik… Don’t tell me you’re afraid of spiders?” Jayce asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you LOOKED at this MONSTER?! What are you waiting for?! KILL IT!"

"It won't hurt you, you know," Jayce laughed, slowly taking off his shoe.

“Do I look like I fucking care?!” Viktor’s voice was strained. "Stop laughing and KILL IT!"

"It’s okay, I’ve got it," Jayce said with a reassuring—maybe a little teasing—smile. "You can leave the room if you’re scared."

"I AM NOT MOVING UNTIL THIS HORROR IS DEAD!" Viktor shouted, eyes still locked on the terrifying eight-legged monster. "You’re not even looking at it! What if it escapes?!"

"Then you wouldn’t see it anymore, and problem solved," Jayce said, carefully raising his shoe above the creature.

"Solved? No, Jayce!" Viktor practically screamed. "The only thing worse than a spider is a DISAPPEARED spider!"

With a swift and efficient movement, Jayce adjusted his position and smashed the shoe down. The sound echoed in an expectant silence.

“… Did you get it?” Viktor whispered, his eyes fixed on the shoe.

Jayce slowly looked under his sole, where the remains of the terrible monster lay.

"Yes, it’s dead! You’re saved, Vik!" Jayce proudly announced, as if he’d just slayed a dragon.

Viktor mumbled an embarrassed thanks, his face flushed with a mix of relief and shame.

"We’ve wasted enough time. We should head to Zaun," he said, eager to shift the conversation.

Jayce closed the luggage and carefully carried it back to the attic, cleaning up the dust left in its wake. They left the Talis House for less welcoming venues—places where dangers were more real than spiders.

Read more on AO3

Extract from Loving is Caring - CHAPTER 4 - Ghosts of the Undercity 😊

Thank you for reading ❤️ Feel free to leave kuddos & comments ❤️

[marie-swriting]

The One I Want - Eddie Munson

Stranger Things Masterlist

Summary : You and Eddie are dating and before you can tell your parents about your relationship, your dad finds out when Eddie is in your bedroom.

Warning : fake friends, mentions of rumours about Eddie (leading cult/venerating Satan), mention of teenage pregnancy (but no pregnancy), parents walking in you and your boyfriend, angst, happy ending, maybe some grammatical mistakes as English is not my first language, tell me if you see some or if I missed any warnings.

Word count : 6.4k

French version

Song Inspiration : But Daddy I Love Him by Taylor Swift

Most of your body is on top of Eddie’s while his arms are wrapped around your waist. You are both peacefully sleeping, light snores coming out of your boyfriend’s lips. Slowly, you wake up but you keep your eyes closed, wanting to enjoy this moment with Eddie. You hold him a bit tighter against you and stay like this for five more minutes before finally opening your eyes. You gaze at his sleeping face. A few curls are on his visage which makes him even cuter; delicately, you put his hair back then you kiss his cheek. 

Unaware what time it is, you look up at the clock on his nightstand and you start to panic. It’s almost eleven in the morning, however you have to be at the Smith’s house at eleven for their annual garden party where your parents are already waiting for you. In one second, you jump from the bed and scream at Eddie to wake up. He groans and shoves his face on the pillow while you take your stuff and run to the bathroom as you keep telling Eddie to get out of bed.

Not having too much time, you quickly freshen up then you dress. While you put your skirt on, Eddie appears in the room, yawning. 

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“I’m gonna be late!” you reply, yet Eddie is still confused as he rubs his eyes. “My father’s colleague's party, I told you about it yesterday.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Can you drive me? I planned on taking the bus, but I don’t want to be even more late.”

Generally, when you sleep at Eddie’s, you don’t take your car as a way to avoid using two vehicles. Though, today, your car would be useful.

“Of course, lemme put on some pants and let’s go.”

“Perfect, you’re the best,” you say, pecking his lips.

You leave the bathroom and you go pack your bag while Eddie puts his clothes on. Once you’re both ready, you get in his van. Eddie is about to drive but stops the second he sees you with your makeup bag.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m putting my makeup on,” you reply as if it was obvious.

“Are you sure about it?”

“I’m used to it, don’t worry, just drive.”

Without wasting more time, you leave the trailer park. You do a natural makeup look as you can not do something more sophisticated. The minute you’re close to the Smiths, Eddie stops the car just before their house.

Your parents are clueless about the fact you’re dating Eddie. To be honest, except Wayne, no one knows. You don’t need everyone’s comments about your relationship. Your parents think you stayed at Nancy who you work with at the school newspapers. Consequently, they can’t see Eddie’s van. 

Once the car is parked, you thank Eddie and throw him a quick ‘I love you’ before kissing him and bolting out of the car. While you run to the house, you try to smooth your outfit out while putting your backpack correctly on your shoulders. The second you arrive, you find your parents, your dad sends you a pointed look.

“I’m late, I’m so sorry, daddy”, you say, hoping the use of the term ‘daddy’ instead of ‘dad’ will make things better, “We forgot to turn on the alarm,” you explain while wiping some sweat on your forehead.

“Isn’t Nancy with you?” your mother asks.

“She had to go back home quickly.”

“Go say hello to the Smiths and ask where you can put your bag.”

You listen to your mother and walk to the hosts who aren’t far away from your parents. You apologize for being late and Mrs Smith tells you you can put your belongings in Sarah’s room, their daughter who you go to school with. Glancing at her, you see her with Hannah Williams who is sighing ‘what a mess!’ to her while she is clutching her pearls. Mrs Smith asks her daughter to come so Sarah leaves her friend then she gives you a hypocritical smile before inviting you to follow her.

Once you’re rid of your stuff, you go back to the garden and you have to be social with Sarah and Hannah for the following hours. You try to keep your cool the whole afternoon. The people around your age aren’t the one you get along with, notwithstanding you can’t cause a scandal, though they make it hard. Calvin Jones, Jason Carver as well as two other guys and girls join you and you have to hold yourself back from breathing out every two minutes.

“I still don’t understand why you’re friend with the Freak,” Jason suddenly states, turning to you.

“We just get along, it’s as simple as that.”

“Yeah, but still. He’s weird. Wouldn’t you be better with normal people?” Calvin adds, putting his arm around your shoulder, making you uncomfortable.

“At least, he knows what personal space is unlike some,” you retort, looking him up and down.

Sure when he’s with you, Eddie is always in your personal space. He has this need to feel your body against his, whether it’s his hand in yours or on your lower back or on your thigh. Eddie is a real koala, but it’s only because you’re his girlfriend. Back when you were just friends, he wasn’t as touchy so technically, your comment is not really a lie. 

Nevertheless, your comment flies over Calvin’s head who keeps his arm on you; to get rid of it, you have to go get a drink. You’ve only been here for two hours and yet, it feels like ten. Reluctantly, you end up going back to the teenagers and occasionally you participate in the conversation. You only want one thing and it’s to go home and ring Eddie or even better, be in his arms.

However, you have to wait until the beginning of the following week to see him again. While you arrive at school, you hear someone calling your name. Turning around, you find Eddie, trotting around, a book in hand. Once he’s in front of you, you realise he’s holding your mathematics textbook.

“You forgot it at my place,” Eddie explains, giving it to you.

“I knew it was weird I hadn’t forgotten something.”

“What would you do without me?”

“You’d be the one lost without me,” you joke.

“True.”

The bell rings, students walk in the building, already bored of their first period.

“Thanks,” you say, pecking his lips without thinking.

You walk to the main entrance as Eddie doesn’t move, startled by your kiss. He didn’t expect your lips to touch his and judging by your lack of reaction, you haven’t realised what you did just yet. Indeed, you only realise you’ve kissed Eddie in front of the entire school once you’re sat in the classroom and you freak out instantly.

During the whole morning, you think back to the kiss. You wonder if a lot of people saw it and if Eddie is mad at you. He’s not the kind of person to get mad, sure, nonetheless you didn’t talk about not hiding your relationship anymore, though you’ve been meaning to tell your parents for quite some time now.

You don’t listen to a single word your teachers say, impatiently waiting for the lunch break to find Eddie. As soon as it’s time, you join him at the picnic table in the woods outside of the school. Without any big surprise, Eddie is already there, he’s probably skipped his last period before the break. He does it so often that you don’t even react to it anymore. You’d be more shocked if he went to all of his classes. As you arrive, Eddie stands up from the bench and he walks to you before hugging you and kissing you.

“We should talk about this morning,” Eddie tells you with a small smile.

“I know, I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did it, I wasn’t thinking.”

“Hey, it’s okay.”

“Do you know if a lot of people saw us?” you question, biting your nails.

“I have to admit I was too in shock to check this,” he answers, taking your hand out of your mouth.

“Well, at least, now we have an excuse to tell my parents.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m tired of lying and I want them to meet you. If you agree, of course.”

“I totally agree,” he exclaims, clapping his hands together, happy.

“Perfect! You’ll come have dinner at my place one evening. I have to plan it with my parents and I’ll tell you.”

“I hope everything will be okay. I want to make a good impression,” Eddie confesses, putting his hands on your hips.

“Since when do you worry about what people think of you?”

“Since they’re your parents and I don’t want to create problems between you and them.”

“I’m sure they’ll love you. Don’t worry, I’ll plan everything.”

You beam brightly to Eddie then press your lips against his. He kisses you back in the second, bringing you closer to him. 

You can’t wait to introduce Eddie to your parents. Sure, you’re worried they heard about the stupid rumours concerning Eddie, nonetheless you’ll make sure you give them all the right information before meeting him. You want everything to be perfect for their first meeting. 

You still haven’t found the perfect time to talk to your parents about you and Eddie. You wait for the right moment to tell them and as for right now, it doesn’t seem to come. 

Though, it doesn’t prevent you from inviting Eddie to your place when your parents aren’t home. Your father is at work until seven in the evening while your mother is out with her friends, so you have the house to yourself. As it’s the weekend, you’ve decided to call Eddie and he didn’t waste a second before leaving his place.

Fifteen minutes after your call, you hear somebody knocking on your back door. Nimbly, you open to Eddie and you don’t give him a chance to say something before putting your lips on his while dragging him upstairs where your bedroom is. He doesn’t need to be told twice and follows you.

Once you’re in your room, you take his leather jacket off while Eddie starts unbuttoning your dress. Eddie’s lips go from your mouth to your neck and then they lower down to your chest, you enjoy every kiss with your eyes closed. Your hands search for the hem of his tee-shirt as he kisses you again. You’re about to take his shirt off when you feel him being harshly pulled back. Opening your eyes, you find your dad, holding Eddie by the collar and dragging him out of your room.

“Who do you think you are to be in my daughter’s room, you pervert. You better get out of here now or I’ll make sure your hands won’t be able to touch anything ever again,” he yells, dropping Eddie once they’re downstairs.

“Dad, wait!” you beg, running with your dress unbuttoned. “Daddy, please.”

“Don’t 'daddy' me! You better stay out of this. I can’t believe you let a stranger in,” you father reprimand you, appalled. 

“He’s not a stranger, he’s my boyfriend, Eddie is my boyfriend,” you admit, buttoning up your dress.

“Him, your boyfriend?” he questions, staring at Eddie with disgust.

“Hello,” Eddie awkwardly exclaims, “Nice home.”

“What the hell do you have in your head?” your dad resumes, not paying attention to Eddie, “He’s crazy! Don’t you hear what people say?”

“Nothing is true. Daddy, please-”

“No, I don’t want to hear anything,” he cuts you off.

“But daddy, I love him,” you scream, tearing up.

“Love? You’re only seventeen, you know nothing about love,” he claims before turning to Eddie and sending him a dirty look, “You better leave now before I get really mad.”

To emphasise his words, your father grip Eddie by the collar again, opens the door and forces Eddie out of the house while you follow them.

“Y/N…,” Eddie tries to say, yet your dad interrupts him.

“Out of my sight!”

“Go, Eddie,” you softly end up telling him.

Unwillingly, Eddie listens to you, leaving you alone with your dad who is more than angry. The second Eddie left, your father grabs your arm and forces you back inside. You hear him mumbling then he violently closes the door. You manage to get out of his grip and cross your arms on your chest, ready to defend Eddie and your relationship.

“Is this teenage angst? Your rebellious phase? If it is, you’ve rebelled, I’m proud of you, now cut the bullshit,” your dad retorts.

“You judge without knowing anything!”

“How long has this been going on?” he asks, however you stay silent, “How long?”

“Six months, but I was about to tell you,” you admit.

“How kind of you it is to finally think about your parents,” your dad exclaims with irony.

“It’s true, I was about to tell you about me and Eddie.”

“There’s not you and Eddie. You won’t see that boy ever again, he’s no good.”

“If you tried to get to know him-”

“I’ve had enough,” he interrupts you, “He leads a cult and listens to weird music.”

“He leads a Dungeon & Dragons club and it’s not because we don’t exclusively listen to classic music we’re weird! Give him a chance.”

“Oh, I’ve seen enough,” he sighs, massaging his temples, “What were you thinking by bringing a boy in your room? Thank God, I arrived before it went farther! Do you have any idea how irresponsible you are? If you stay with him, you’ll end up pregnant before finishing high school and trust me, he won’t be here to help you raise a child. He can barely take care of himself.”

“You don’t know that.”

“He was held back a year from what I was told.”

“He just had a complicated year.”

“Don’t you want to date someone respectable who comes from a good family with a good economic background?” he replies, annoyed.

“So, this has to do with his economic background, then?” you retort, mad.

“Precisely because he’s only with you for the money you can give him.”

“What? Nonsense! He loves me and I love him,” you affirm.

“That’s what he wants you to believe. If you absolutely want to date a guy, why don’t you go out with Calvin Jones, for example, he’s a nice guy.”

“You’re joking, right? He’s completely stupid.”

“He’s just naive,” your dad corrects and you scoff.

“He thinks Shakespeare was one of our presidents.”

“At least, we know who he is. He’s a good guy.”

“I don’t love him.”

“You have no idea what love is, you’re too young.”

“I don’t even know why I keep talking to you,” you state, going upstairs.

“Come back here, missy,” your dad orders, following you.

“No!” you reply, entering your bedroom.

You don’t have the time to close the door that your father is in your room. Swiftly, he walks to your nightstand and takes your brand new walkman you got for your good grades. 

“What are you doing?” you question.

“You’re grounded for three months, minimum, no more hanging out after school and your new walkman, I’m confiscating it for a month just like your car keys. You better not talk to him again from now on and until the end of your life. You better not even call him, send him letters and at school, he keeps his distance with you, if he even goes to class. And don’t even think of sneaking out, I’m watching you from now on. I was too indulgent with you,” he announces and you feel the rage in your body.

“This is not fair!”

“That’s how it is. Now, stay in your room until we eat.”

Upon those words, your father slams the door and you throw yourself on your bed and scream in frustration on your pillow. Angry tears roll down your cheeks and you don’t even try to wipe them.

You weren’t expecting your dad to meet Eddie that way, his first impression of him is now ruined. Henceforth, he’ll never want to see him ever again and that’s a fact, yet it doesn’t mean you want to break up with Eddie. You know your boyfriend and you know he’s a good guy and contrary to what your dad claimed, you know what love is, you discovered it with Eddie. You have no idea how you can fix the situation. In any case, if you find a way to do it, you won’t be able to do it today. Your father is too beside himself to listen to you. Your only hope is your mother. If you can make her understand who Eddie truly is, she might be able to make him listen to reason. 

Distraught, you stay lying in your bed, staring blankly at your ceiling. Eddie is in your mind, he must feel awful even if it’s not his fault. You wish you could talk to him, notwithstanding your dad is keeping a close eye on your comings and goings, therefore you don’t leave your bedroom.

Once the sun starts going down in the sky, your door softly opens and your mom walks in. she should have been home later, you guess your dad phoned her to tell her about what happened. Your mother looks at you with eyes full of compassion while she gets closer to you, she sits down next to you and puts her hand on your shoulder to comfort you.

“Dad didn’t have to ruin your night with your friends for this,” you say, avoiding her gaze.

“I can always see my friends another day. He told me everything about you and this boy. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Depends, will you listen to me?” you ask without any hope.

“Of course.”

“Eddie is a good guy, mom, I swear. I wouldn’t be dating someone who isn’t.”

“Are you sure you know him very well? From what I’ve been told, he isn’t well respected around town and with what happened today, it’s not making things better for him,” she contradicts with a sweet voice.

“Those are just unfounded rumours. He’s just non-conformist, that doesn’t mean he’s mean. I love him.”

“You think you love him but you’re young. You’re blind by your teenager's feelings.”

Following her comment, your growl in frustration. It’s the third time you’re told you have no idea what love is and you’re sick of it.

“Why do you all think it’s impossible for me to love someone?”

“Because you two are not from the same world. We don’t know either him or his family.”

“If you were a bit more open-minded, you’d know him,” you retort.

“It’s just puppy love, you’ll forget him fast enough.”

“How can you be so sure about it?”

“You’re too different from one another. You should find a boy from a good family.”

“Don’t tell me you want me to date Calvin Jones, too.”

“God, no!” your mother exclaims with her eyes wide open, “He’s cute but he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”

“It’s Eddie that I love, he’s the one I want, mom,” you confess, sitting on your bed, “It’s serious between me and him, we have plans together,” you inform.

“What are they?”

“He has a band, he wants to launch his career in Los Angeles.”

“Is that why you absolutely want to go to University there?” she questions, sighing, “Don’t let a guy dictate what you should do.”

“That’s not what it is! I wanted to do my studies in Los Angeles way before him.” 

“What about him, does he want to go to University?”

“No, school isn’t really made for him.”

“So, how will you two take care of each other there? It’s not with his band and you studying that you’ll earn a living.”

“I’ll find a job and I have my savings you and dad made for me.”

“Are you sure he doesn’t want-”

“You’re not gonna say this, too!” you interrupt, annoyed, “Is it too hard to believe he wants to be with me because he loves me? He’s not mean, interested in money or I don’t know. Yes, he’s unapologetically himself, even if it means not following what society tells him, it doesn’t make him a bad person, though.”

“Of course, honey, if you say so,” she says, without taking you seriously, “We’re going to eat soon, come set the table.”

You obey your mother and stand up from the bed and follow her to the kitchen. Your conversation with your mom has frustrated you more than the one with your dad. She acted like she was empathising with you nevertheless she didn’t listen to you for one second.

During the whole evening, there’s this tension between you and your parents. Your dad is still mad, talking to you coldly. At first occasion, you run away to your room, not supporting their presence anymore.

On Monday, you can see Eddie at last for the first time since your argument with your parents. He’s already at the picnic table; if there’s one day where he doesn’t like his schedule, it’s during the first day of the week. Upon arriving, you find him focused on his next campaign. As he hears twigs and leaves crunching under your feet, he looks up to you. In an instant, he stands up from the bench and hugs you. Once you’re in his arms, you let go of a sigh, as if you had been holding your breath for the past two days. You hold him tighter as he strokes your back and whispers sweet nothings, your father’s punishment is the last thing on your mind. A few minutes later, you break the embrace then you press your lips on his.

“Are you alright?” he asks with worry, putting his hands on both sides of your face. “I tried calling you, but I didn’t get an answer.”

“My dad is watching the phone and me like a prison guard.”

“I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble with your parents. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m grounded for the next three months. It’s not your fault, Eddie. I didn’t think he’d come back this early,” you reassure him with a small smile.

“I guess your parents aren’t my biggest fan now. I mean, considering the way your dad found us out, I can’t really be mad at him.”

“It doesn’t mean he should judge you harshly.”

“What about your mom, what did she say?”

At the mention of your mother, you sigh, exasperated as you think back to your conversation.

“She acted as if she was listening to me, it was like talking to a wall. They don’t want to hear me out and they don’t want us to be together.”

“It’ll be okay, I’m sure they’ll change their mind,” Eddie promises, kissing your forehead.

“You don’t know my dad. It’d take a miracle for him to have an epiphany. I think it’d be easier to run away,” you propose, almost serious.

“As tempting as it is, I wouldn’t want your parents to hate me even more,” he refuses with a heavy heart.

“This just proves you’re a good person, you prevent me from running away.”

“Oh, trust me, it wouldn’t be hard to make me change my mind, but I don’t want you to get into more trouble because of me. We’ll find a solution, don’t worry.”

Eddie hugs you once more and you stay like this during the first period. It’s not the thing to do, your parents might learn you skip a class, though you don’t care. You’re already grounded, you don’t see how it could get worse than that.

Your day at school is over, you leave the building and you’re about to find Nancy - she offered to drive you home while you don’t have your car - when you hear Sarah and her friend group talking more or less discreetly, you try not to pay attention at first.

“I can’t believe she kissed the Freak last time!” Hannah exclaims.

“I told you they were together. I was sure there was more, they were too close,” Sarah adds.

“I don’t get her, he’s not attractive at all,” her friend comments, frowning. 

“I heard her father tell mine he caught them in her bedroom.”

“You can’t be serious!” another girl says, following Sarah’s information.

“Hell yeah, I am! You’ll see in a few months, she won’t come to class anymore, if you understand what I mean.”

Not supporting those childish stories anymore, you decide to join their group, skirting a few students, among them some Hellfire members.

“Hey, girls, how are you doing?”

“Oh, fine and you?” Hannah questions, her cheeks red.

“I thought you were just talking about me.”

“No, you’re not as interesting as you think,” Sarah retorts.

“Really? That’s too bad, I was about to confirm to you guys I’m having his baby, actually. I’m eight weeks pregnant.”

As soon as the words leave your mouth, every single girl’s eyes are wide open just as their mouths are. Some of them let go of a surprised shriek and others put their hands over their lips.

“Wait, you are?”

“No, I’m not, but you should see your faces,” you admit, “Instead of gossiping about my life or Eddie's, you should take care of yours.”

“Gossiping?” Sarah starts, walking towards you, “Honey, I’m just stating facts, it’s not my fault if you can’t handle your new reputation.”

“You know what? If you have nothing better to do, then keep talking. I have other things to do than listening to what you think.”

“We just want what’s best for you,” one of the girls says with empathy.

“So you’re doing all of this out of the goodness of your heart?” you ask with irony. “It means a lot to me, yet it doesn’t change anything. You all are just hypocrites.”

On those words, you leave them, not handling their presence anymore. They won’t learn anything from your exchange, though it doesn’t matter. You never liked them in the first place so losing their so-called friendships is the least of your worries.

In Nancy’s car, you enjoy this moment with a real friend to empty your mind.

During the following weeks, you keep walking on eggshells with your parents. On one hand, you don’t want to be too headstrong about it, on the other, you don’t want to let them think they can forbid you from being with who you love. Consequently, you try not to cause any more drama however whenever there is an occasion, you defend Eddie. Your mother is a bit more open now, though your dad stands on his ground. However, the conflicts with your parents are becoming more regular and you hate every one of them. Nevertheless, you’re your father’s daughter and when you’ve both made your mind to it, you can be very stubborn. 

You and Eddie defy the rules by continuing to see each other, although now you're more cautious about seeing each other away from prying eyes. Eddie didn’t want to get in the middle of it at first, telling himself it’s between you and your parents, though he sees you suffer because of it and that it causes you stress. Before all of this, you were close to your parents. He tried to reason with you by saying you should make up with them, no matter if your relationship is the price to pay for it but you refuse to listen to him. He’s touched by the way you have his back, however he doesn’t like being the reason for a conflict when it’s about you. As a consequence, he’s decided he’ll fix the situation himself. It can’t go on like this so Eddie found your dad’s work number and he called him. It took him a solid minute to figure out who was calling him then he hung on Eddie, not without threatening him again. For all that, it didn’t stop Eddie. He tried calling him several times, in vain. As he understood it wasn’t working, Eddie decided to go see your dad directly. If your dad doesn’t want to listen to him through the phone, he won’t have any other choice but to listen to him in person. He won’t give up until he does.

That’s how Eddie finds himself in front of your dad’s workplace at the end of the day, his van parked close to his car. Your dad recognizes him from afar. He loudly sighs, preparing himself to ignore Eddie. With a big smile on his face, Eddie gets closer to him and holds out his hand. 

“Good evening, I’m Eddie Munson.”

“I know who you are and I thought I had made myself clear last time,” your father answers, looking him up and down, “I don’t want to see you.”

“We started off the wrong foot and I want to change that.”

“Why do you insist so much? Don’t you think you’ve caused enough damage already? My daughter barely talks to me because of you.”

“Actually, it’s because you refuse to listen,” Eddie corrects, making the situation worse. 

“I forbid you from giving me advice on the way I educate my daughter.”

“I’m not here to create problems, I swear!” he argues, preventing your dad from getting in his car.

“Yet, it looks like you are.”

“I just want you to hear me out. I want what’s best for Y/N, that’s all.”

“If it was true, you would leave her alone. Goodbye.”

Eddie doesn't try any longer and lets your dad go, he doesn’t admit defeat though. He will talk to your dad, that’s a promise he made to himself. Eddie gives him a few days off, before going at it again. This time, he chooses to wait for him in front of your house. Once he sees the car coming, he stands straight. Your dad rolls his eyes before getting out of his car.

“This is stalking. I’m going to call the police.”

“If you’d listen to me, I wouldn’t have to do this. Please, I’m just asking for five minutes,” Eddie humbly begs, “After that, you’ll be able to tell me to leave and I will, though I sincerely hope you won’t.”

“You have five minutes, not one more second.”

“Great!” he exclaims, excited before clearing his throat. “I’m aware I didn’t leave a good impression.”

“That’s the least you could say.”

“And,” Eddie resumes, without paying attention to your dad’s comment, “with what people say about me, I understand you don’t want me near your daughter. To be honest, I don’t even know what people say about me these days, the stories are so far-fetched. Anyway, I can assure you the Hellfire club isn’t a cult, if you want, you can even come to one of our meetings to see for yourself. I don’t venerate Satan or anything else. You think we’re too young, though I promise you I love her. I feel things for her I had never felt before.”

“Yes, I gathered that the second I found you in her room.”

Eddie purses his lips, embarrassed by the innuendo. He scratches his neck before talking again.

“I’m not with her for… that. I really love her and I want a future with her, I wanna build a life with her.”

“A life she will fund, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s a fact I won’t be able to live off my music right away, but I’ll work. I’m not with her for the money, I’m in love with her. I know you don’t like my background nevertheless I’m not gonna apologize for this. It’s something I can’t control and besides, even if I didn’t have an easy life, I have a great uncle who takes care of me and I’m grateful for him, he’s doing his best so I can have a good life. Sure, we’re not rolling in the money, however it doesn’t mean I don’t know how to treat your daughter respectfully. Since your fight, she’s sad. She won’t say it, but I know she hates it as much as you. You mean the world to her and she never meant to hurt you by hiding our relationship. She just wanted to be sure it was serious and she wanted you to meet me in good time. Unfortunately, that’s not how it happened. I tried to tell her she shouldn’t go against you as much as she does, yet she doesn’t want to listen to me, that’s why I keep on trying. I don’t care what people think about me, though, she cares what you and your wife thinks. I’m not gonna lie, I’m not perfect, I have flaws and I made mistakes and I’ll make others, but hurting Y/N won’t be one of them,” Eddie states with confidence. “If you give me one chance, I will show you I deserve your daughter.”

Your father looks hard at Eddie, weighing the pros and cons. He doesn’t want to admit it, however Eddie found the right words. He runs a hand over his face, then breathes out before replying. 

“One chance. I agree with you coming to eat at home so we can get to know each other. Don’t ruin it.”

At his words, Eddie holds himself back from jumping in joy. He can’t ruin all his good effort now, so he just smiles.

“I won’t, sir.”

Eddie holds out his hand and your dad shakes it, sealing their agreement. The noise of the front door opening catches their attention. Turning their head toward the door, they see you walking in, your school bag on your shoulder. Once you see them, still shaking their hands, your brows furrow, not understanding what you’re gazing at.

“What’s happening?”

“Eddie came to talk to me,” your dad explains, taking his hand off Eddie’s, “He’s been trying for a few weeks and I finally agreed to listen.”

“Really?”

“I couldn’t handle the way you were tearing each other apart because of me,” Eddie adds.

“And I don’t like the way you're is cutting me out of your life and after hearing Eddie out, I think, maybe, I judged him too quickly. I’m not saying I’m happy you love him, though he knows how to defend himself. You’re still grounded by the way,” your father quickly specifies as he sees your joy on your face, “but I agree on eating with him this Saturday so I can judge if he deserves you or not.”

“Thanks, daddy!” you exclaim, hugging him, “You have no idea how happy I am.”

“I just agreed to get to know him, it doesn’t mean everything is fixed.”

“I’ll prove to you I deserve your daughter,” Eddie promises, strutting. 

“We’ll see about that. Now, go home, she’s still grounded.”

“I’ll show him to the door,” you say.

“You have five minutes.”

You take Eddie’s hand and drag him outside, wanting to enjoy every second you have with him. Eddie is pleased he made things better between you and your dad. 

The minute you’re alone in front of his van, you jump in his arms. Eddie loses his balance for a bit yet he catches you nonetheless then, he holds you tighter. A few seconds later, he takes a step back, wanting to talk seriously with you. You guess this by the way he plays with his hands and searches for his words.

“Everything okay?” you question.

“Yes, I’m happy your dad is giving me a chance. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to talk to him? We could have done it together.”

“I hesitated to tell you however I thought I should be the one doing it; it’d be easier. I mean, I had to fight for three weeks just so he’d listen to more than one sentence. The fact is, we’re on the right track.”

“What’s wrong then? I feel like there’s something else.”

“Yeah, there is,” he admits running a hand over his face, “Look, you probably planned to tell me yourself, to tell me in a beautiful way but I know.”

“You know?” you ask, your brows knitted together.

“Yes and that’s why I wanted to smooth things over with your dad,” Eddie continues, ignoring your confusion, “You’ll need them and you can’t stay on bad terms with them and all of this stress isn’t good for you or the baby,” he says, putting his hand on your stomach.

“The baby?”

“I know you’re pregnant,” Eddie states and you’re getting even more lost.

“What? Eddie, I’m not pregnant,” you inform, taking his hand out of your body.

“You don’t have to lie, I’m not mad. Sure, I panicked when Dustin told me but I’m here for you, no matter your decisi-”

“Eddie!” you interrupt, “I can assure you I am not pregnant. I got my periods a week ago. I don’t know how Dustin could have believed that.”

“He said he heard you say it to some girls.”

Following Eddie’s sentence, you need a second to understand how Dustin could have heard this. As soon as you finally figure it out, your face relaxes and you lightly chuckle.

“Oh, this! No, it was a joke. They were gossiping and I wanted to shut them up.”

“So, you’re not pregnant?” Eddie wants to make sure, still worried.

“No.”

“Thank God, I didn’t tell this to your dad,” he says, sighing in relief.

“Thank God, yeah or you would have been six feet under already and I would have followed you.”

“More scared than hurt. Though, I meant it when I said I’d support you if it ever were to happen.”

“I know you would. That’s why I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

You put your hands on both sides of Eddie’s face and he leans in to kiss you. His hands make their way to your hips, bringing you closer. Your kiss doesn’t last long, guessing your dad is watching you through the window. You break the kiss and Eddie gives you one last smile before getting in the van. Before leaving, he opens the car window.

“I told you we’d find a solution. See you Saturday.”

Stranger Things Masterlist

[chaifootsteps]

This is very out of the blue but I gotta vent about it a bit.

Because back when Hazbin Hotel came out I saw posts by Stans going on and on about “yall better support this indie pilot by a queer woman of color!!” (I don’t know if viv is actually a person of color who is white passing or if her ethnicity is Latina— just that fans were saying she was. I think there’s an assumption that all latine/latinx people are people of color, but there are white latinx people as central and South America were also colonized by Europe. To be clear, again I’m not saying she is or isn’t a person of color, I don’t know. At the time though Stans were saying she was)

Well, now there’s another indie Pilot with queer characters by a queer woman of color with ACTUAL black main characters and characters of color — “I don’t want to be a magical girl” and, for some reason, suddenly Hazbin Stans are silent.

And man, it’s just so blatantly obvious that it’s not and never was about supporting diverse artists in the indie animation sphere, it was just about getting Viv’s Yaoi wattpad fanfics animated.

“Support all indie creators” my ass.

The thing is, you DO see other indie animators collaborating and uplifting each others works a lot.

I genuinely can’t remember the last time Viv uplifted creators that weren’t working on something she specifically directed. Maybe I’m wrong as her twitters gone private but I don’t know. I kinda hope I’m wrong, but either way the hypocrisy is gross.

Up until this point, to see how much this fandom actually cares about people of color, all anyone has needed to do is look at the way they treat even the mildest, most charitable critics. You know, that and the fact that someone did blackface.

Along comes an indie show by a queer woman of color, starring black characters? Dead silent or actively trashing it, saying it's a ripoff.

[tevos]

////

[moe-broey]

Why did I start like three other projects when I was already working on a big project when I just got hit with the autism exhaustion beam (requires. At least One Full Day just dead in bed, and then some more Taking It Easy time after)

[tecchan]

Mitsugi squatting everywhere is the only highlight of this damn game

[catboydan]

fiance got me a kindle for my birthday <3

[aeb-art]

siblings :)