#c1: Party in the House

[graysonheller]

These were so common and so boring but often better than being left to his own devices. Plus, it helped him keep up his reputation and appearance within the community. His father was untouchable yet knew how to pander to the public in a way that people never saw what an awful human he actually could be. A real son of a bitch. With the anniversary of his mother's passing approaching he had to push whatever thoughts of his father out of his head and chest, around this time of year they always twisted into something far uglier than what truly was.

Mingling, chatting, snacking, wandering thoughts to his work... this was so routine he was walking through it all like some sort of robot. What he used to have a little fun with was the bored, middle aged housewives that would flirt a little too desperately with him was of no interest. Nothing ever happened from those encounters other then hopefully securing himself in their memory when a divorce would surely eventually come. Not that he practiced that kind of law but referrals often meant owed favors.

Not long after walking into a new room of the house he was full named and it put a crooked smile on his face as his blue eyes searched for the person responsible. "Valentine Finch," he returned when he'd noticed their eye contact and made his way to them. They were someone he'd have loved to chat with back when the embezzlement case was on-going, but he wouldn't bring that up now. Instead he listened to them go on about pretzels, distracted by the crumbs on their shirt the entire time. "That is a shame. I suppose I'll just have to eat the crumbs off your chest there..." With a chuckle he somewhat gestured to all the crumbs on Val's shirt.

With a shift in stance Grayson was soon saddling up next to Valentine to that he could still people watch while he chatted with them. "I'm pretty good with faces. Names. I've got a massive catalogue in my head so... yeah, test me."

STARTER FOR: @graysonheller LOCATION: some socialite's house ok / oak gardens

It’s a bit too early for a fucking bonfire-themed party, they thought. Not when summer had barely left and the fall was only beginning to settle in the air, let alone seep through their bones, but rich people and logic tended to be elusive. In any case, they weren’t going to pass up a party—food, drink, and finite friendships. And what was the harm indulging for one night, really? It was neither logical nor polite to reject the courtesy, not when it was so freely given by—

God, what was the woman’s name again? Valentine had caught her eye waiting in line at the coffee shop, and she’d blurted out an invitation about a party in Oak Gardens that same night, that they could continue their conversation there. They remembered the curl of her lashes, the sunlit hair, and her address—but lost her name and face. How shameful. It started with a B… 

In any case, they’d yet to be kicked out of the party. The platter brimming with all sorts of cheeses and pretzels at the very end of the table had looked particularly tempting and was a perfect complement to the (fucking!) non-alcoholic cider. And so Valentine decided, in the interim, to scour through people’s faces and to munch on pretzels, the latter decision leaving crumbs on their sweater that were admittedly a bit unsightly. 

They did not know much time had passed until a familiar face had finally emerged. Catching his eyes, they began, “Grayson Heller!” they began, last name and all. They hadn’t been particularly close, but, by God, his face was a comfort among a sea of strangers. “If you’re looking for the pretzels, I think some menace had already picked the plate clean. Damn shame.” A shrug, almost playful. 

Still no woman. “Grayson, think you can help me out? I’m looking for someone.” 

[burr-ell]

A Not-Necessarily-Exhaustive List of Good Moments from C1 1-27:

"I have an intelligence of 6, I know what I'm doing"

"We're here to right wrongs, and right lefts—" "And write comment cards"

Tiberius Kraghammer

Clarota

"We'll explain later. You're on the roof of Osama bin Laden's house"

"We'll be taking your weapons, your armor, and I believe your pride"

Percy making the first trick arrows for Vex after a shopkeep was a dick to her about arrows, which is canonically when she began to fall for him

Keyleth killing that one duergar from the TLOVM flashback

"I encourage violence"

Lady Kima being freed and then pulverizing the corpse of the duergar who'd been torturing her

Matt's fucked up body horror monsters

Scanlan taking a dump on a bed for the first time

Pike's crisis of faith when she slits a duergar's throat with her mace and her holy symbol breaks

When the limited T-shirt run went live and then sold out before Marisha could finish reading the announcement

Vax getting his foot burned off in lava

Scanlan the Kingslayer

"Can I use my Luck feat for this?" "You don't have any feet left"

Kima and Keyleth's argument (it was good, haters eat my shorts)

The origin of The Cube

"I'm Vax that's Vex ->" "I'm Vex that's Vax <-"

"Screw you, I want my final words with you to be indignant and irritated!"

"He has three-quarters cover" "I ignore three-quarters cover :)" "...then fuckin' fire!"

"Some people have no sense of fucking honor!"

Travis's notes that just say "I don't trust Clarota I don't trust Clarota I don't trust Clarota"

Percy reacting to the Briarwoods being namedropped during a council meeting

Meeting Gilmore on-stream for the first time

The Belt of Dwarvenkind and Grog's obsessive attempts to grow a beard

Scanlan's blue-shit-scrying potion

Grog "Philip" Strongjaw vs Kern

Vax giving Minxie!Keyleth a belly rub

The hydra fight and the beef with the Slayer's Take

Episodes 18 and 19, in their entirety, but specifically:

Zahra and Vex's initial rivalry-turned-friendship-turned-"I have a crush on Zahra"

Lyra. She's just. so much. idk of what but she is it

"I'm wearing the pajamas with the buttflap and the buttflap is down. The buttflap is DOWN"

Scanlan introducing himself to Rimefang as Burt Reynolds and then Matt, in his scary dragon voice, calling him "Burt"

"I'm sorry, I'm a genius, I'm sorry! Oh, god I'm clever!"

Zahra killing Rimefang

Percy and Vex working together on a history check (it's important To Me)

Wil Wheaton rolling five Nat 1s. In one session

Keyleth and Vax posing as a married couple to get information

Kash insight-checking Thorbir, believing he has to be actively sabotaging them because no one could possibly be that bad at their job (he's not, he really is just that unlucky)

Wil, playing a dwarven fighter, finally rolling a nat 20...for an insight check

The magic carpet losing its enchantment in a pit of acid and Laura's scream of horror from offscreen

"Rakshasaaaaaaa!" -jazz hands-

Kashaw and Keyleth, which was thankfully reworked in TLOVM but was also hilarious

Vex exasperatedly kissing Grog, portrayed by Laura kissing a bewildered Travis

Tyriok the cartographer

Grog, the Vasselheim merchant, and the first and only time Vex started beef with a retailer

Keyleth recounting a vision she had of her own death

The Aramente trial in Pyrah and a cameo from Thordak

Travis getting a medal from a fan for losing to Kern and Matt making it canon

Grog fighting Kern again and winning

Keyleth getting arrested. For the second time in Vasselheim alone

The first appearance of the man. The myth. The Viktor

Kynan's first appearance and Vax's idea of "tough love"

Percy telling his backstory to the party and them immediately affirming their support for him ("You don't have to get involved in this" "Oh, we are SO involved" "You said you wanted 'em dead!") and Taliesin himself being moved to tears over this

Percy creating Diplomacy

Vax and Keyleth bear-sitting Trinket and braiding pink ribbons into his fur

Gilmore finding out Vax wants to see him and teleporting in from half a continent away

Vax shaving half of Grog's beard and Travis breaking a mechanical pencil with one hand

The feast, where Percy actually threatens the Briarwoods to their faces while disguised as Vax

Vax and the Briarwoods. "Gosh you guys are good-looking"

Vax nearly dying and having a vision of the two people he cares about most: Vex and Keyleth

Sylas jumping out the window and doing a perfect 3-point landing...while Delilah blows the athletics check and faceplants in the dirt

"SYLAS"

Vex scoring two crits on Delilah

Tiberius getting Feebleminded

Percy's attack on Desmond. My horrid little skrunkly <3

"YOUR SOUL IS FORFEIT! DIE! DIE!" and Keyleth skipping her turn to just stare at Percy

Vox Moochina

Keyleth taking charge to save the ember roc

Keyleth conjuring a water elemental and Taliesin gargling water to translate her commands to it

And finally, the conversation between Keyleth and Percy where he privately confesses his own worries that he's going dark and that he's afraid of himself, and she expresses her concern for him and promises to be there for him

anyway c1 good

[shorthaltsjester]

downfall has me thinking about the prime deities far more than is best for my mental health and so i’ve been rewatching c1 just because so many of the pcs have relationships with the gods — even percy and keyleth who hold lower opinions of the gods still have relationships with them — and good grief . you ever think about whitestone as this bastion of love that the gods still have for one another and the love that a party of idiots have for one another. that the centrepiece of the town is a tree from the dawnfather, one used for the builders of castle whitestone to take shelter from the tumultuous lands of the alabaster sierras. a mountain range that came about out of the conflict between the dawn father and the chained oblivion.

the fact that the family that whitestone’s lost son found and brought back with him amounted to two temples being erected, and how fitting that after defeating the briarwoods, the two gods that are given new houses of worship in whitestone are the gods of death and redemption, fate and compassion. do you ever think about how many of vox machina are champions but how much the ones who are not are still held in good faith by the gods, whether or not that is returned? do you ever think about the raven queen telling percy he is broken and reminding him that does not mean he is alone, that means he is mortal, as are all those whom he loves. do you ever think about percy’s death letter, read by vox machina in a tavern as he tells them that the raven queen calling him broken finally opened his eyes to the fact that he has chosen his life (and thus, he might choose better), writing “one the lie [that vengeance would bring my family back] was shattered, I scrambled to find a solution, to make a deal, to undo my mistakes and balance the scales. I now understand that there are no scales. There is no redemption, and no ledger that judges me good or evil. I am free to simply be myself and live with the terrible mistakes I’ve made. Tomorrow, I start upon a path beyond the gods and demons who have tormented me, and it’s your friendship that makes this possible. […] I will try and do my best for you all.” and signing it Percival, of Vox Machina - the family he found and chose, not the one he lost and buried himself in vengeance to avoid. and fucking, vex having just heard percy forgive ripley also hearing those words and having carved the word forgive on the weapon she carries who has a conversation with him to remind him (and herself) that committing to forgiveness over grudges and vengeance means also forgiving the person he’s been that prioritized vengeance. the fact that one of the main things they bond over is that they have similar dispositions to justice and a similar unwillingness to forgive but they both see that in themselves as something they wish to improve at, and that when they eventually marry, each time is by someone devoted to a god neither of them necessarily worship but each of which oversees a domain particularly relevant to that connection - keeper yennen is a worshipper of erathis, and thus the justice that both percy and vex care to honour; pike is a worshipper of raei, and thus the redemption that both vex and percy seek (and see in one another). do you get it.

and god the entirety of the final arc of vox machina is truly some of the most interesting cr content for me just because you get the silliness and depth of vox machina in the face of these Beings On High and they all gaze at these idiots trying to save the world with fondness and the realization with downfall that in many ways those gods were just as much idiots trying to save the world makes that so, so interesting. and i wonder what might’ve happened if one of the gods they’d gone to see had been the lawbearer or the wildmother, what might have been made of percy and keyleth. i wonder if the lawbearer might have taken an interest in a calculating and curious man who loves to strike a deal and stick to it, even if manipulating the contents of the deal made to better suit his ends - especially given that percy was rejected by ioun for his propensity not to share his knowledge, and especially given that whitestone has a historical precedent for worship of the lawbearer. and i wonder what the wildmother would make of an angry girl who is fated to watch the people and places she loves be irrevocably changed and die, who wields her vestige, and who favours the world and it’s people over the gods and their rules — something i’m willing to bet melora would find some common ground with.

there’s also some beautiful symmetry between the relationships of the gods to which vox machina become champions and their own relationships with one another. and i’ve made my post about vax and vex vs. the matron of ravens and the dawn father, but i also think quite a lot about vex and scanlan vs. pelor and ioun. vex and scanlan who can be quite antagonistic to one another but also understand each other as few others do; scanlan who tells the dawn father that vex is not perfect but she is the most perfect among them, vex who hears the knowing mistress tell scanlan that his stories give vox machina strength and genuinely tells him it’s true and that he is very powerful, even when he tries to joke about it. ioun and pelor were the ones to take on tharizdun, ioun nearly perishing and having to hide away to recover. when vox machina asks pelor for her location he doesn’t know it. and fuckin. dalen’s closet. should be a silly little wedding oneshot ends with fuckin. vex glowing with the light of the dawnfather as her and percy, the living son of whitestone, are married by pike who is a cleric and is also the champion of the god of redemption, where the champion of ioun turns into a. dinosaur to walk his friend down the aisle and then grants a wish so that she can see her brother again and the champion of the matron of ravens comes to visit - something that is explicitly stated to be allowed by the matron of ravens. where a twin glowing like the dawn and a twin darkened by raven feather embrace. do you get it . do you see it. the fact that the first story we all heard in exandria was one of a family threatened by fate who could not beat it but did their best with it and that now downfall, the newest story but with parts of the oldest story in exandria’s timeline, is the same. a family who is doing the best with what they have, and what they have isn’t always great.

[unpredictable-probabilities]

At a Blade's End || Chapter 4: Intertwined

Summary:

It's the day of the party at Roderick's manor, and Morpheus is displeased with the appearance of Robert and his son.

Meanwhile, Hob finds out a little more about Morpheus, and Robyn talks about his mother to his new friend.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word Count: 4,262

Square/Prompt: C1 - Healing Touch |  @dreamlingbingo

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human Alternate Universe - Medieval, Assassins & Hitmen, Blood Blood and Injury, First Meetings, Canonical Character Death, Each chapter will have warnings if it contains any graphic violence

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56571808/chapters/149085661

———

Morpheus turned to Alex standing beside him when he heard a sigh.

The party had started a few minutes ago, and guests were milling around greeting each other and the master of the house. Servants walked by holding trays of food and drinks, while Morpheus was at his usual station during public events: standing guard beside Alex. The Magus might care very little for his youngest son, but he would still see it as an embarrassment if Alex were to be harmed in his own premises.

“Randall’s not even here anymore and yet this entire party is for his birthday,” Alex said wistfully. “Father must really love him.”

“Your father did not neglect to give you a gift for your birthday,” Morpheus reminded him gently.

“A wad of money and an order to spend my birthday outside of his house?” Alex raised an eyebrow at him.

“I seem to remember you eating your weight in pastries and buying three new horses that day.”

Alex finally smiled. “Thank you again for accompanying me and Paul. Father would have been suspicious if it had just been the two of us.”

Someone was approaching and Morpheus instinctively turned to see who it was.

“Speak of the devil,” he said playfully.

“A drink, Master Burgess?” Paul smiled and held out a tray with a single wine glass to Alex.

Alex wrinkled his nose and picked up the glass. “I told you never to call me that.”

Morpheus scanned the crowd of nobles and businessmen, as well as the other servants going around serving food.

“Let us go to the gardens,” he said. “Far from prying eyes. Our presence is not needed here and would not be missed.”

“Indeed, Father probably already forgot that I exist,” Alex joked halfheartedly as they made their way out.

“Then that means you're free for the rest of the day,” Paul said lightly, holding the tray down at his side. “Though I’d need to get back to the kitchen soon.”

“They would not notice your absence for a few minutes,” Morpheus reassured him. “The initial preparations are done and other servants would be taking a break now as well.”

“A few minutes would be enough,” Alex said and gently took Paul’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “We can all just breathe here away from the party.”

Quick footsteps rounded the corner, and a familiar boy came running towards them while giggling.

He stopped when he saw Morpheus and smiled brightly. “Mister Morpheus!”

“Robyn! Hold on a moment!” Robert came jogging after the boy, slowing down to a stop and catching his breath.

His gaze landed on their group, and Morpheus saw Alex and Paul immediately let go of each other’s hands. Robert’s eyes followed the movement, and Paul took a step back from Alex.

Morpheus tensed, mentally running through a list of excuses as to why they were here, but he decided it would be wise to let Robert speak first to ascertain what was going on in his mind.

“My lord,” Paul lowered his eyes, his voice wavering and his face a shade paler. “I was just— Master Burgess was—”

“It’s all right,” Robert said gently. “There’s no need to explain anything to me.”

“My father isn’t a scary man!” Robyn nodded vigorously. “He won’t get angry about broken cups or holding hands with your friends!”

Morpheus instinctively looked at Robert, who returned his gaze with a small smile. Was that why they thought he ran out of their house two days ago? Just as well. It was an exceptionally idiotic decision on his part; at the very least they weren’t suspicious.

“My lord,” Alex said politely. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name. I’m not familiar with all of my father’s guests.”

“Robert Gadling,” Robert stepped forward and held out his hand. “I take it you’re Alexander Burgess?”

Alex took the offered handshake. “Yes, Lord Gadling. I welcome you to my father’s home.”

“Just ‘Sir Gadling’ is fine,” Robert smiled.

“And I’m Robyn Gadling!” Robyn puffed out his chest and held out a hand as well. “Pleased to make your acquaintance!” he added in his small high voice.

Alex smiled and shook the boy’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Robyn. You know Morpheus?”

“I do! He visited our house the other day to bring the invitation, but he broke a teacup and got scared and ran away.”

Paul and Alex looked at him questioningly; they wouldn’t believe that he would get scared of such a thing. An explanation would be expected of him later.

“I apologise once more, Sir Gadling,” Morpheus said. “As well as for rudely leaving your home in haste.”

Robert shook his head. “Like I said, it was an accident. Really, it’s all right.”

“See!” Robyn beamed at Morpheus, then looked at Paul. “And my father also won’t be mad at holding hands so you don’t need to be scared! My father has servants too and sometimes they hold my hand while we walk and cross the street.”

Robert chuckled. “Indeed. And you can still hold hands with people even when you’re grown-up,” he addressed his son but smiled pointedly at Paul and Alex. “No matter who they are as long as you both agree to it.”

“Well said, Sir Gadling,” Alex raised his wine glass in a toast, looking happier than he had ever since the party began.

“What’s your name, Mister?” Robyn asked Paul.

“Ah, Paul McGuire, Sir Robyn,” Paul tipped his head, his eyes lowered.

“It’s just ‘Robyn’! I’m not old!” the boy’s face was scrunched up.

Paul smiled and met the boy’s gaze. “Pardon me. Robyn.”

The boy grinned. “A pleasure to meet you, Mister Paul!” he straightened his posture and extended his hand.

Paul seemed taken aback at the offered handshake, and he wordlessly accepted it.

Then the boy turned to Morpheus with his hand still held out. “We didn’t shake hands last time!”

Morpheus shook the boy’s hand. “It is a pleasant surprise to see you again,” he said, even though it was far from pleasant seeing him and his father. “I had the impression that your father was not attending this party.”

Robert cleared his throat. “Robyn wanted to check on your hand after it got cut from the teacup. He’d been running around the place looking for you ever since we arrived.”

“You got injured?” Alex furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

“It is of no consequence,” Morpheus held out his left palm. The cut had mostly closed, though he was still careful not to exert his hand so much.

“Shouldn’t you put a bandage on it?” Robyn asked worriedly.

Morpheus had considered it, but the Magus would inquire upon any injury of his out of worry that it would impede his duties, and Morpheus would rather not speak of it.

“It will heal,” Morpheus simply said. He had had worse injuries before.

“Okay…” Robyn said, though he was frowning. “Oh! You two can hold hands again now!” he said to Alex and Paul. “We don’t mind!”

“Ah, duck,” Robert knelt on one knee to be eye-level with his son. “Remember what I said about how other people can be mean and easily angered? Those people could also get angry when they find out that people hold hands. So it’s important that you don’t tell anyone that you saw them do that, okay?”

Robyn’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?! Why would anyone get angry about that?”

Alex smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like us, Robyn.”

Robyn frowned and looked at Robert. “Pardon my language, father. But I think that’s very stupid.”

Alex looked terrified for a moment and looked at Robert. Morpheus understood his fear; he would have received punishment if he spoke to his own father in such a way when he was that age.

But Robert just laughed good-naturedly and ruffled his son’s hair. “It is quite stupid, isn’t it? And while those people haven’t sorted themselves out yet, it’s important to protect these nice people. Do you understand?”

The boy nodded. “I promise not to tell anyone,” he said solemnly.

“Thank you,” Robert smiled at him and stood up again.

“Are you friends with Mister Morpheus?” Robyn turned to Alex.

Alex smiled, relaxed again now after seeing that Robyn faced no consequences at all for his use of language. “I am. He’s a nice person, too.”

Morpheus frowned at him. Alex had known since last year what jobs he did for the Magus, even though he did not know who the targets were. How could Alex still call him nice?

But Alex just met his eyes and grinned. “Even though he would never admit it,” he said pointedly before turning back to Robyn. “For my birthday two months ago he accompanied Paul and I to the city. We had cakes and rode horses for the better part of the afternoon.”

Robyn’s face brightened and he looked at Morpheus. “I knew you were nice!”

Morpheus said nothing; his stomach twisted at how the boy was looking at him with so much trust, oblivious to what Morpheus had almost done to his father moments before he arrived in the dining room two days ago.

“Pardon,” Paul’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “But I’ve been gone too long from the kitchen. I should return to my duties now, Morpheus. Sir Gadling, Robyn,” he nodded politely to them before turning to Alex. “... Alex,” he said with a small smile.

“Paul,” Alex returned the smile, evidently pleased that Paul addressed him by only his name.

With another bow to everyone, Paul made his way back inside.

“As for myself, I shall return to the party,” Alex straightened his waistcoat. “Father would be displeased if guests start asking him where his son is.”

“I shall go with you,” Morpheus said, grateful for any excuse to move away from Robert and the boy. 

“No,” Alex shook his head. “You’ve been guarding me since before the party started. You should take a break like some of the other servants.”

“Alex,” Morpheus frowned. “You know your father tasked me to stand guard at your side.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “And we both know that no one has ever tried to harm me, and no one ever will.” He lowered his voice to be quieter. “Everyone knows I’m not important to my father and they have nothing to gain from me.”

“What?” Robyn furrowed his eyebrows. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

“Duck,” Robert put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’re not part of the conversation, it’s rude to ask.” Though from the somber look on his face, he had heard what Alex said.

Alex smiled at the nobleman and his son. “It was a genuine pleasure to meet you both. May we see each other again soon.” He looked at Morpheus and pointed a finger at him. “Don’t follow me. Take a break.”

Had it just been the two of them, Morpheus would have said exactly what he thought of the young man’s audacity. As it were, all he could do was clench his jaw and watch Alex go back to the party.

He startled and turned around when he felt a small hand grab his wrist.

“Are you really okay?” Robyn was looking worriedly at the cut on his hand.

“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me, I…” he trailed off at the sound of voices.

They were at the part of the garden behind the manor, and if there were people nearby they would be on the other side of the walls separating the garden from the terrace wrapping around this wing.

He recognised Burgess’ voice. More likely than not, he and his guests were just viewing the outdoors from the terrace without putting themselves through the ordeal of actually going outside. But if Burgess decided to go in this direction he would find out that Robert Gadling has a biological heir…

“Excuse you to do what?” Robyn was frowning up at him in confusion, still holding his wrist.

“Robyn,” Robert said. “I think Morpheus might have to be somewhere else now.”

Were the voices getting closer? Or was he just getting too anxious?

“I… was thinking of showing you and your father around the gardens, Sir Robyn,” Morpheus said to the boy.

Robyn gasped in delight and tightened his grip excitedly. “Really?”

“Yes.” Morpheus looked at Robert. “If I may.”

Robert looked surprised but he smiled. “Of course. We’d be happy to walk around.”

Morpheus used his uninjured hand to grip Robyn’s wrist and pull him deeper into the gardens, away from the Magus.

***

Hob watched Robyn pull free from Morpheus’ hold to run ahead of them, slowing to a stop to peer at a butterfly that had landed on a patch of flowers.

Morpheus, despite having initiated the stroll, seemed a bit tense. He walked stiffly beside Hob, his eyes darting from time to time to the direction they came from.

“Is everything all right?” Hob asked. “If you need to get back to your work now, you don’t have to accompany us. I’ll take Robyn back to the party.”

“No,” Morpheus quickly said. “Sir.” He looked over his shoulder again.

“What’s wrong?” Hob frowned in concern. “Are we… hiding from someone?” He recalled the voices he heard shortly before Morpheus declared wanting to show them the gardens.

Morpheus looked at him, then turned his gaze straight ahead as they continued walking. He seemed to be finding the right words. “Lord Burgess… is not fond of children, sir. I heard his voice among that group. I did not want Sir Robyn to be subjected to his sour mood.”

Hob’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Not about Roderick Burgess being a grumpy old man who disliked children, he would have expected as much. But he didn’t expect Morpheus to consider Robyn’s experience at the party.

“Thank you,” Hob said sincerely. “For making sure Robyn is comfortable. Especially since you should be taking your break now instead of accompanying us.”

“It’s no trouble, sir,” Morpheus said quietly, still staring straight ahead as they continued to follow Robyn who was now running in a zigzag pattern around the flowerbeds.

Hob wondered why Morpheus still seemed tense even as they walked away further from the party. Maybe he was often like that in Lord Burgess’ house? Hob wouldn’t be surprised if all the servants were always on-guard for that nobleman. But then Paul seemed far more relaxed earlier than Morpheus now.

“Paul and Alex are lucky,” Hob tried to lighten the mood. “That they have you to watch over them.”

Morpheus looked at him, as if not expecting him to acknowledge it at all. “They are young, and deserve to be happy,” he said in his quiet voice.

Hob smiled. Morpheus seemed aloof for the most part, but he evidently cared deeply for people. Hob remembered the raven pendant that he saw that night on the balcony, and his gaze lowered to Morpheus’ chest where the necklace had been. There was no trace of it now, save for a glimpse of a thin metal chain near his neck. It looked like Morpheus usually hid the necklace under his shirt.

There was the sound of a snapping branch, a flash of alarm on Morpheus’ face, and a surprised cry from ahead of them.

Before Hob could react to the sight of his son falling off a tree, Morpheus dashed from his side and lunged, catching Robyn just in time.

The momentum made them both fall over, Morpheus landing on his back with a grunt and Robyn on top of him.

Hob quickly rushed over. “Are you two all right?” He held out a hand to help his son stand up.

Robyn scrambled to his feet with Hob’s help, and immediately turned to face Morpheus who had now sat up on the grass. “That was amazing! You’re so fast and strong!” he was practically beaming.

Morpheus looked up at Robyn, and Hob could swear that the hint of a smile was forming on his lips. “You must be cautious, Sir Robyn. You could have been hurt.”

Robyn wrinkles his nose. “Why do you keep calling me that? I’m not old!”

There was almost a fondness now on Morpheus’ face. “You are the son of Sir Gadling.”

“You didn’t call Mister Alex ‘sir’ even when he’s the son of Lord Burgess!” Robyn said stubbornly. “Is it because he’s your friend?”

Morpheus nodded. “He is.”

“Can we be friends? Then you can call me Robyn!” The boy grinned triumphantly as if he had just solved a particularly difficult riddle.

Hob chuckled. “I’m afraid this is a battle you can’t win, Morpheus.” He held out a hand to help him stand up.

Morpheus hesitated a moment before accepting it and pulling himself up. The man had more weight to him than Hob would have expected, and his grip was strong before he let go of Hob’s hand.

“Oh no!” Robyn gasped, looking at Morpheus’ other hand. “I told you to put a bandage on it!”

Morpheus lifted his left hand; the cut had reopened and was beginning to bleed again. “I must have landed on some roots when I fell,” he had a frown that looked more curious than pained.

“Is it my fault?” Robyn’s eyes were filling with tears.

“No,” Morpheus said immediately before Hob could say anything. “Not at all. Robyn.” He smiled, then. A small thing, but real and soft.

Robyn still looked tearful, but he managed to return the smile.

“Let’s sit over there and have a look at that wound,” Hob gestured to a large flower bed forming a low stone wall around some plants.

Morpheus looked like he was about to protest, but Robyn grabbed the wrist of his uninjured hand and tugged him towards the flower bed.

“Come on! We're friends now, right? That means you have to let us help!” Robyn looked up hopefully at Morpheus, who relented and let himself be pulled along.

Robyn didn’t let go of Morpheus even as they sat down on the edge of the flower bed.

“The cut isn’t too deep and fortunately you won’t need stitches,” Hob said, taking a small pouch from his coat pocket. “Why didn’t you bandage it before?” He doubted that Morpheus didn’t have the knowledge or resources for it.

Morpheus furrowed his eyebrows as Hob took out the contents of the pouch. “Do you carry a medicinal pouch with you all the time, Sir Gadling?”

“I’ve had to since I realised my son has a penchant for running around outdoors,” Hob chuckled.

“Mister Morpheus, my father asked you a question,” Robyn gently tapped Morpheus’ arm. “It’s okay if you didn’t hear it! Would you like me to repeat it?”

Morpheus looked at Robyn with a curious gaze, and Hob was about to tell his son that it was alright if people didn’t want to answer questions sometimes. Morpheus seemed like a man who valued his privacy even with the littlest of things.

Then Morpheus looked down at the cut on his hand and spoke quietly. “Lord Burgess would have questioned the injury if he had seen a bandage. I felt… embarrassed. To admit the cause of it. As it is a failure on my part. And Lord Burgess would not like to know that his trusted servant carelessly broke a cup.”

Robyn looked heartbroken and angry, and Hob spoke before the boy could say some choice words about Lord Burgess. “You’re not needed by his side for the entire party, right? Perhaps we can bandage it for now and you can just remove it later when you have to go see him.” Hob knew that that was the best compromise they could achieve.

Morpheus was quiet for a moment and nodded wordlessly, holding his injured palm out.

Hob began disinfecting the wound with the liquid from the small clear bottle, hoping to himself that Morpheus wouldn’t remove the bandage as soon as he and Robyn were out of sight.

“I’m sorry…” Silent tears were rolling down Robyn’s cheeks. “I shouldn’t have climbed the tree.”

“It’s not your fault.” Morpheus gently freed his wrist from Robyn’s hold so he could wipe away the boy’s tears with his hand. “I was much like you when I was your age, you know?” he smiled softly.

Hob normally attended to Robyn whenever he cried, but right now he felt like he should keep silent as his son finally seemed to be achieving his goal of befriending the “shy, scared man”, as Robyn had referred to Morpheus that morning at breakfast.

“Really?” Robyn sniffled.

Morpheus nodded, seeming not to feel any sting at all as Hob finished disinfecting the cut on his hand and began wrapping it with a bandage. “I liked running and climbing trees, too. I even had my fair share of falling off them.”

“Did you have someone to make you feel better after, too?”

Morpheus’ smile faltered for a moment, and Hob remembered the raven pendant again. The friend Morpheus lost. “I did. So you mustn't blame yourself. I caught you because I did not want you hurt. That is all.”

Robyn nodded, wiping away the last of his tears. “Do you still climb trees now?” he asked curiously. 

“Not as much. I’ve had to stop since…” Morpheus trailed off, looking as if he hadn’t meant to say that.

“Since…?” Robyn pressed, eyes wide with encouragement.

Morpheus took a moment before answering. “Lord Burgess does not like seeing us climb trees.”

“He doesn’t like so many things!” Robyn complained. “You’re big now! You’re not small like me! You should be allowed to climb trees whenever you want!”

Hob suddenly remembered that Morpheus was taken as a servant when he was a child. And what Morpheus said just a few minutes earlier…

“Lord Burgess… is not fond of children, sir.”

The pieces seemed to click into place in Hob’s mind. Morpheus said himself that he was as playful as Robyn when he was a child, but had to be less so because Lord Burgess didn’t like it.

Was Morpheus just as friendly and outgoing as Robyn back then? What could have happened to make him how he was now? How did Burgess treat him as a child for him to be concerned enough to lead Robyn away from the old man as fast as possible?

No good answers came to Hob’s mind and he willed himself to remain calm. Bursts of anger were understandable from someone of Robyn’s age, less so from a grown man.

“You’re allowed to climb trees, are you not?” Morpheus told Robyn as Hob finished wrapping the bandage. “With enough practice, you will master it and not have to worry about falling any longer.”

“I wish you can practise more too,” Robyn pouted. “Why is Lord Burgess so mean!”

“He lost a son, shortly before I came into this house,” Morpheus said quietly. “Randall. It’s his birthday today, that is why we have this party now. He died young, and Lord Burgess must have loved him so. Losing a loved one can make people angry and bitter.”

There was a quiet weight to those words, and Hob couldn’t help but wonder just how long ago Morpheus’ friend had died.

“No!” Robyn looked even more exasperated now. “My mother died of sickness when I was four summers old. My father and I loved her very much, but we didn’t turn mean!”

Morpheus glanced at Hob at the sudden reveal of information, and Hob gave him a reassuring smile that it was alright for him to know. It was four years ago, and while it still hurt, he no longer felt like a broken man.

“Father said we grieve because we love her. And love shouldn’t make you hurt other people!” Robyn had grown so impassioned in his speech that he had now tightly laced his fingers through Morpheus’, his small tan hand a contrast to the larger and paler one.

Morpheus gave a small smile, though Hob could see sadness in his eyes. “You are very wise, Robyn. And… so is your father.” He glanced at Hob, his smile becoming more polite. “Thank you for this, Sir Gadling,” he held up his bandaged hand.

“It’s the least I could do for you reacting much faster than I did when my son fell,” Hob smiled back.

“When I grow up, I wanna be as fast and strong as you, Mister Morpheus!” Robyn grinned, holding up their intertwined fingers and moving them back and forth excitedly.

“Why are you calling me that?” Morpheus asked Robyn, his head slightly tilted to the side. “We are friends now, are we not? Call me Morpheus,” he smiled.

Robyn gasped and dropped Morpheus’ hand.

Then he threw his arms around Morpheus’ shoulders, holding him in a tight embrace.

Morpheus made a surprised grunt and nearly fell backwards into the flower bed before regaining his balance. He looked at Hob with wide eyes, his hands awkwardly held up to the sides.

Hob laughed, feeling a warmth in his chest at how happy his son was, and how Morpheus had grown much more comfortable around them. “It’s only polite to hug your friends back, Morpheus,” he said to answer the man’s uncertainty.

Morpheus relaxed and tentatively put his uninjured hand on Robyn’s back. Then he met Hob’s eyes, his smile more sincere now than polite. “I am glad you came to this party. Sir Gadling.”

My friends call me Hob, Hob wanted to say. But he held himself back and just smiled and nodded.

———

<- (Chapter 3)

(Chapter 5) ->

(Dreamling Bingo Masterpost)

(Masterlist)

[writer-in-theory]

Piece By Piece

Summary: When Max calls for Hopper’s help one night, everything changes. Prompt: C1 - Jim Hopper as Billy’s Dad Pairing: Billy Hargrove & Jim Hopper, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Rating: Teen Word Count: 3.3k Content Warnings: Child Abuse (Neil Hargrove is a piece of shit) Read On AO3: here A/N: This is my fifth fill for @billyhargrovebingo !! As always, huge thanks to @serenity-lattes and @lcvingprentjss for beta-ing and for coming up with the title. 

Billy Hargrove Bingo Masterlist

It was the middle of the night when Jim Hopper got the call.

When he’d given his phone number to everyone involved in the Upside Down business, he’d never actually expected anyone to need it. After all, the kids seemed to want to handle trouble on their own (as irritatingly dangerous as that was) and the teens weren’t likely to want to lean on the chief of police for help after he’d busted half of them for underage drinking at parties at least once before. His phone number had always been intended to be a failsafe, a way for them to contact him when shit had already gone down and they’d gotten themselves into trouble trying to fix it. 

Yet, at 2:38 in the morning on February 7th, 1985, Max Mayfield called Jim Hopper. He’d only met the girl briefly back in November—back then mostly distracted by the exorcism they were performing on Will Byers and the sudden reappearance of his magical daughter—but even then Jim would’ve described her as a spitfire. She never let any of the guys bother her and was never one to be overspoken and ignored. She was fearless in a way that not many adults were, and Jim could say he was thankful she and his daughter became such good friends if only because he knew she would look out for El. 

On the phone that night, however, she sounded like an entirely different person. The girl’s voice shook and she sounded breathless with fear. The instant she said that she needed his help, that her brother needed his help, Jim took off out of the house. Jim drove down the country roads at speeds he would never have dared touch before, because if fucking monsters from another world couldn’t strike that kind of fear in her then what could?

There weren’t too many police calls that would stick in Jim’s head forever, but that one would.

I think Neil’s gonna really kill Billy this time, Hopper. 

Even from outside, he could hear the shouting, eerily reminiscent of his own father’s voice. As Jim stepped up to the house, one hand over the gun on his hip, he had to remind himself that the old bastard had been dead for years. Good fucking riddance. Neil Hargrove wasn’t dead though and was instead seemingly trying to give his son that very fate Jim had avoided by signing up for the military straight after school. Jim had seen some fathers give warning smacks to their kids when they spoke out and had even told himself once or twice that the kid had probably done something to warrant it, but never before had he seen this kind of anger directed against a kid before. 

Jim Hopper wanted to kill Neil Hargrove. If he thought there was a way to get away with it, he might have considered it due to the amount of suffering he’d put his own son through that night. Billy was on the ground of the living room, knees tucked up to his chest and arms bent over his head to protect the most vulnerable parts of his body, not trying to fight back or defend himself despite his clear ability to fight based on how the Harrington boy had looked after that night in November. Neil was over him, a belt abandoned beside his ankle as he rained fists down over the boy. 

Jim nearly saw red at the sight—the cruel merciless grin Neil wore as he watched Billy lay there, practically responseless to the violence. 

“This is the Chief of Police, get on your goddamn knees!” Jim shouted, actually pulling the gun into his grasp when the other man seemed to consider his next moves for a second. “On your knees, Neil!”

It was nearly impossible to remain strictly professional after. If Neil had a few extra bruises by the time Powell and Callahan got there, then neither mentioned it.  Sure, it happened in the takedown. How did it feel, Neil, to be as vulnerable and powerless as you made your son? They did offer (or require) that they handle Neil from then on whether for Jim’s sake or Neil’s, leaving Jim to deal with the aftermath at the house on Cherry Lane.

The wife, Susan, had grabbed Max and gone outside, sobbing about how terrifying the experience had been. Max was yelling at her for not trying to stop it, and while the whole thing made Jim sick to his stomach he could almost understand why she didn’t put herself in front of those fists. It was clear Neil had been in a blind rage and was capable of literal murder if he’d had enough time. It wasn’t right, leaving the poor kid to deal with that kind of rage alone, but survival instincts were strange in even the best of conditions. 

The kid, Billy, had picked himself up by then, pointedly staring at his socked feet instead of at Jim. The image of him now was a far cry from the delinquent teenager who already had a number of speeding warnings and noise complaints from the music in his car. He could see the words in Billy’s file flashing up at him now: attitude, trouble with authority, flight risk. It made horrible sense now, seeing what nightmare he had to deal with at home. The kid didn’t even look surprised, more so closed-off, like he’d purposefully numbed himself to what was happening. 

Jim had to shake his head to clear it from the pictures of his own high school days when he’d used rebellion as a way to cover up all of the goddamn hurt. Far too many people had failed this kid already, leaving him to deal with this mess alone, but Jim knew he wouldn’t—couldn’t—add his name to that list. 

“C’mon, kid, we gotta get you checked out at the hospital,” Jim said, trying to look anywhere but at the bruised boy if only to spare him some dignity. “I’ll drive you.”

“I’m not going to a hospital,” Billy spoke then, voice harsh but eyes still downcast, focused on a red stain in the carpet that Jim was trying hard to avoid. 

“You’re pretty banged up, it’s the safe thing to do.”

“Never needed it before,” Billy fought again, the words searing into Jim’s brain and pulling out a wince. It was clear that this kind of route was going to go nowhere then. 

And maybe it was crazy but—

“Alright, but you can’t stay here. We gotta secure the scene.” Did they? Either way, Susan was taking Max to stay with a friend of theirs, and there was no way Billy could recover from this alone. “Come back to mine. I got a first aid kit and a safe place to land.”

“I don’t need your help, Sir,” Billy pushed back, but the moment he tried to walk back down a long hallway of doors—bedrooms?—he stumbled, catching himself with a hand on the wall. 

“C’mon, kid. At least let me get you somewhere safe. You got somewhere else in mind, tell me and I’ll drive you,” Jim tried again, willing his voice softer than he thought he could ever make it. 

Under any other circumstances, it’s clear Billy would’ve fought harder. Now, though, he looked worn down to the bone and like he might collapse if he had to stay on his feet any longer. So he just shrugged and walked to the front door, pulling on his boots and moving to stand by the passenger side of Jim’s car. 

The ride was awkward, to say the least. It felt a little like a bomb was tied to the roof of the car, threatening to detonate if either of them dared break the silence. Billy sat on the edge of his seat, pressed as far against the window as possible, arms around his middle like he was holding himself in. Even as they pulled up to the cabin (which, admittedly may not look like the safest place out in the middle of the woods), Billy held onto himself. He didn’t get out of the car until Jim did, following him into the cabin and standing in the middle like he didn’t know what to do with himself. 

“The first aid kit is in the bathroom on the left. If you need help—”

“I’ve got it,” Billy snapped, not unlike an injured animal biting the person who helps them because they’re cornered. 

The kid found the bathroom okay, shutting and locking the door, leaving Jim to get the bedroom set up with fresh sheets, and leaving some sweatpants and a t-shirt that could pass for pajamas folded on the bed. Jim’s back already hurt at the thought of sleeping in his armchair for the night, but it was worth it to ensure the kid had a safe place to land after such a horrific night.

Billy didn’t come out for another two hours, and when he did he went right to the bedroom, eyes watching Jim the whole way. When Jim didn’t move or say anything—he remembered this feeling too well, knew the wrong thing could set the kid’s recovery back years—Billy closed the bedroom door, disappearing behind that too.

Jim sighed and settled into the armchair for the night, already knowing he wouldn’t be getting any sleep. Instead, he watched TV at low volume and listened out for any sign that either of the kids in his house was having a nightmare. 

In the morning, before the sun was even up, footsteps woke Jim up. They were quiet, feather-light, and if it weren’t for his years in the military Jim might have missed them. When he turned around, Billy was standing by the front door, a hand gripped around the handle.

“You don’t have to go,” Jim offered, already knowing how this would end. Someone like Billy wouldn’t trust him immediately, as frustrating as it was. “There’s plenty of space if you need somewhere to land.”

“I don’t,” Billy answered, eyes watching the front door. “I’m not a fucking charity case.”

In moments Billy yanked open the door and hurried out, slamming it behind him. 

Trouble with authority. Flight risk.

Maybe it was better to let him go, to let Billy reach out for help when he was ready for it. Jim didn’t really know how to do any of this and had never really been given an instruction manual on how to help out lost kids, but he did know that letting Billy leave in the middle of winter was a bad idea.

“Billy,” Jim called, jogging down the dirt driveway to catch up with the kid. “Hey, I know you’re not a charity case, alright? But where are you gonna go?”

“I have a car,” Billy told him like that solved everything.

“This isn’t like California, you’ll freeze to death tonight if you sleep in that thing.” Jim involuntarily shivered at the thought of the kid actually spending the night out here alone in this kind of weather, Jim already freezing after just a few minutes exposed to it. “I’m not saying you have to stay forever, but look, kid—”

“Stop calling me that, I’m not a kid.”

“Until you’re 18, you are,” Jim corrected, rolling his eyes at the kid’s attitude. It was obvious now what it was—a defense mechanism, the prickled pines of a porcupine meant to keep others at a distance—but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. “Billy, look. I don’t beg often, but please stay here until you have somewhere safe to land.”

Billy watched him for a moment, expression still guarded but at least not running away. Then, finally, he sighed. “You’re really not gonna give up, are you?”

“Not likely.”

Billy nodded then and followed Jim back into the house. It felt like a major victory, even though Jim knew there was still a long road ahead of them.

Billy stayed mostly distant for a week. 

Most of his time in the cabin was spent in his bedroom, door closed and not a sound emitting from the other side of it until it was time for dinner. El asked after him often, saying she could feel him hurting, but Jim couldn’t force him to socialize with them. He didn’t want to act even a little like Neil lest the kid never trusts him, so he trod lightly. He’d at least asked Jim if he could stay, stating that there wasn’t anywhere else in town he could go. He just needed until he graduated, Billy had said, as if Jim could ever kick him out so soon.

It was Steve Harrington who changed everything. 

Jim had never liked the Harrington boy, if only because he was the spitting image of Robert Harrington. He’d even acted just like him too—right down to the annual birthday party that nearly the entire Hawkins High population attended and usually resulted in several noise complaints from the other residents of Loch Nora. As far as Jim was concerned, the kid was arrogant, self-centered, and entitled in a way that no person should ever get to be.

The kids begged to differ, as they all liked to remind him whenever they saw El. Jim knew the kid had saved them on more than one occasion, but it was hard to reconcile that idea with who he knew the kid to be.

That self-centered, entitled teenager didn’t exist now, that much was clear just from the panic and determination on his face when he stood outside of Jim’s cabin.

“Where’s Billy?” Harrington demanded the second Jim opened the door.

Jim raised an eyebrow at the lack of greeting, wondering what could have the kid so panicked. Had Billy tried to pick another fight with him? Had Steve?

“Look, Harrington, he’s not h—”

“Bullshit!” Harrington shouted, then at least looked embarrassed as he added, “Uh, sir.”

When Jim didn’t say anything, the kid continued. “I know he’s here. I need to see him.”

“Nope, sorry, kid,” Jim answered, already starting to shut the door. Harrington was relentless though, throwing himself between the frame and the door to stop its movement. “You’re not starting a fight here.”

“I’m not—” Harrington started, cutting himself off and running a hand swiftly through his hair. “C’mon, Hop, I really need to see him.”

“Why?”

“Trust me, please.” Jim didn’t want to. He would never have trusted a Harrington with anything, much less the hurt boy he was sheltering. But Steve looked earnest now, brown eyes wide and pleading in a way that was quickly melting down whatever defenses Jim had constructed.

“He’s in his bedroom, first door on the left,” Jim relented, moving out of the way as Steve practically sprinted into the cabin. 

Steve knocked once, announcing it was him. Within seconds the door was opening, Billy flashing Jim a nervous look before Steve stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

And, well, Jim didn’t mean to listen in, he really didn’t. The thing was, the walls of the cabin were shoddily built and wildly thin, and it wasn’t like either boy was exactly trying to keep their voice low. Even so, Jim could only pick up bits and pieces of their conversation while he sat in his armchair, TV volume up in a lame attempt at giving them privacy.

“Are you okay? What happened? Did....”

“He found out, about this. Us. He....”

“Shit. What...”

“...here at this fuckin’ cabin in the woods.”

“...Could stay with me if...”

“Your parents, Stevie. I can’t...”

“...love...”

Oh, shit. 

Jim mashed the power button on the TV, mind racing with every thought that one word conjured in him. Love. Were Billy and the Harrington boy together? Was that why Neil had nearly killed his own son that night? Jim supposed it made sense, also explaining why Billy was still distrusting him. And yeah, it was a weird thought. Jim didn’t have any experience dealing with anything like this, but both boys were good kids and surely that meant all of this was okay too? It was just love, in the same way that he and Joyce were tip-toeing around each other. It was as simple as that. 

He walked over to the bedroom door, knocking against it twice with one knuckle on a finger. “Hey, kid?”

There was scrambling behind the door for a few seconds before Billy opened it, not making direct eye contact with Jim.

“I was gonna order pizza for dinner, what do you and Harrington like?” Jim asked, mentally wincing at the surprised look on Billy’s face. Did he really think Jim would respond badly to clearly overhearing all of this?

“Uh, whatever’s fine, sir,” Billy answered quickly, glancing back at where Steve was standing beside the bed, idly looking around the room like he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Jim asked Billy, nodding his head toward the front door. Billy looked back at Steve one more time before following Jim, sitting down on the front step of the cabin.

“I can be out of here tonight,” Billy stated the second they sat down, pulling a startled grunt from Jim. “I just need to make a bag and—”

“What? I’m not kicking you out, kid. I meant it when I said you have a place here,” Jim told him. “I just need to know. You and Harrington. Is that why...?”

“Dad beat the shit outta me? Yeah,” Billy scoffed, wrapping his arms around his knees. “He went digging in my stuff and found a picture we’d taken together. You’re really not freaked out?”

“I won’t lie and say I know what I’m doing, but as long as you’re both happy, I’m all for it,” Jim responded, pulling out a cigarette and holding the box out for Billy. 

“Wait, really?”

“I’m not gonna kick you out because you found someone to love,” Jim returned, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ll be a part of this ragtag little family as long as you like. I mean it, Billy.”

It was silent for a long time after that. Jim didn’t really mind, leaving Billy to sit with his thoughts while they both burned through their cigarettes. It was only when Jim was stomping his out that Billy spoke up again, voice quieter than he’d ever heard it before.

“Thanks. I...thanks.”

It wasn’t many words, but Jim could hear through it. He could hear how hard it was for Billy to say, could hear the slight strangle around the words from the emotions the kid had forced back. He heard how much the offer meant, even when Billy had never made it clear before. 

None of this would be easy. Jim was learning as he went, and he suspected there was still a lot to learn about being a guardian for someone as hurt as Billy. It would be a long road ahead, but Jim was ready to drive it so long as Billy had the chance to recover in ways Jim had never gotten. 

“C’mon, let’s go get dinner for El and Harrington,” Jim finally said, standing up and digging his keys out of his jeans pocket. “Oh, and Billy?”

“Yeah?”

“If Harrington really is something to you, I have one rule in the house. Keep the door three inches open when he’s over.”

Billy grinned for the first time since Jim got that phone call, and it felt like the best victory Jim would ever have. 

[naddpod-encounter-tourney]

Option 1:

Enemy: The Barbarians in the Hungry Trout (Triplets' Edition)

Episodes: Trinyvale X Bahumia Mini-Arc: Ep. 01: The Triplets Take Moonstone

Time: 23:09-28:02

Finish: Onyx (Kruk and 2 minions), Jens (last minion)

Notes: Nyack throws drinks in their face to start a fight over their room in the Inn and doesn't even get a turn in combat. Onyx smites and obliterates people in one hit. She doesn't even take her second attack. (Jake: We're doing cleave rules, right?) Jens then takes his three attacks. They haven't even agreed to help Denny yet.

Propaganda: (anonymous) they are SO over powered it’s funny. onyx takes out most of the barbarians in one hit. just makes it so clear that these characters are so overleveled for the setting and that this is fun time play time not serious peril play time

Option 2:

Enemy: Chosen Airship (15 people of various strength)

Episode: C1 E19: The Purge

Time: (ads) 30:03-53:55 (Cobb's last death save: 1:31:45-1:33:33)

Finish: it's a lot of scrubs so a lot of cleave and NPCs get most of the kills. Matty Big Crits finishes the Captain though.

Notes: Splitting the party couldn't possibly go wrong! Cobb and Hardwon face off against 15 people with 3 White Nights. They're immediately so fucked. Hardwon goes down so fast and most of the encounter is Murph fighting himself. Matty Big Crits makes his mark. Death's door is where Cobb is most comfortable.

Propaganda: (anonymous) Matthias of House Crit! An early instance of Murph refusing to tone down an unexpectedly lethal fight. Jake’s nat 20 death save for Cobb was spectacular

[ihni]

Boys, Beards and Best Friends

For the @harringroveweek prompt "In The Front Seat Of Neil Hargrove's Truck" as well as for my @billyhargrovebingo square C1, "Depression beard".

Rating: T, Word count: 4538. Harringrove + Buckleway.

Summary:

The best thing about Billy's best friend Heather was that she was fierce, loyal, protective, sassy and never shied back from speaking her mind. Billy had been rooming with her since they both got out of Hawkins, six years ago, and he was lucky to have her in his life.

The worst thing about Billy's best friend Heather was that she knew all that, and wasn't afraid to use it to her advantage.

(On AO3)

~~~

The best thing about Billy’s best friend Heather was that she was fierce, loyal, protective, sassy and never shied back from speaking her mind. Billy had been rooming with her since they both got out of Hawkins, six years ago, and he was lucky to have her in her life.

The worst thing about Billy’s best friend Heather was that she knew all that, and wasn’t afraid to use it to her advantage.

“Come on, it’s one night out. I really like this girl and she’ll be bringing her friend to act as a beard so I need one too. Who knows, maybe you and him will hit it off, huh?” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively and stabbed an elbow in his ribs in what was probably supposed to be a lewd insinuation.

“I said no,” Billy said, pretending to be busy clearing the table. Heather had cooked, so it was his duty to do the dishes. “I’m not looking to date right now.”

“No one said anything about dating,” Heather said, refusing to let it go. “Getting laid, on the other hand …” He groaned and rolled his eyes, but she wasn’t deterred. “Remind me again how long it’s been?” Refusing to answer that on principle, Billy took the stacks of plates and glasses and walked over to the sink, turning his back on her. Unfortunately, since she was as relentless as a bloodhound on the hunt, she followed. “Come on, Billy. You’ve been a depressed sad sack for months now.”

“Uh. My dad died?”

“Yeah, and he was a homophobic asshole who made you miserable, so good riddance.” Did he mention she always spoke her mind? “My point is that you need to get out there and have some fun again. Where’s the Billy Hargrove I got to know back in Hawkins, who took every opportunity to party?”

That drew a reluctant smile out of him, as this was something they had discussed many times before. “That Billy Hargrove was an angry son of a bitch who was posturing all over the place and took any and all opportunity to get out of the house.” He turned around to face her, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not that guy anymore. And I don’t need to be. I have you, and our awesome apartment, and a job I love. I don’t have to go out and get drunk to have fun anymore.”

Groaning, she threw her hands over her head. “Ugh, fine, you’ve become a healthy model citizen in your twenties, congratulations. But think of me. Don’t you love me?”

“Of course I do. Platonically.”

She acknowledged this with a nod, and then interlaced her fingers and gave him a pout and the old puppy-dog eyes. “Then please will you do this for me? Please please please please please …”

He groaned. “Why can’t you just take her to the movies like a normal date? People will think you’re friends, and they won’t care if you hold hands in the dark or whatever.”

“Because,” Heather said as if what she was about to say was obvious, “she has the worst taste in movies, I swear. It’s all European, or black and white, and everything is like forty years old.” She caught his raised eyebrow and hurried to add, “But it’s the only downside. The rest of her is divine! And I really really want to take her to this club, because I really really want to grind on her on the dance floor. I know she has some moves, Billy, I know it. And I need to see them. Like I need air!”

“God, you’re really horny for this girl, huh?”

Instead of trying to deny it, Heather just widened her eyes and nodded emphatically. “Yes.”

Rolling his eyes and sighing, he muttered “I’m gonna regret this … Okay, fine.”

Heather squealed and jumped up and down, clapping like an excited seal before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you! You’re the best! Oh man I’m gonna go call Robin now.” She backed up, but threw up a pair of fingerguns before she left the room. “And then you and I are gonna go through your closet and find you something to wear! You wanna look good for your fellow beard, right?”

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose when she whirled out of the room, calling after her, “I’m not gonna fuck him!”

“Maybe you’ll get lucky, and he’ll fuck you!” was the reply.

Billy buried his face in his hands and amended his previous statement: the worst thing about Billy’s best friend Heather was that he simply couldn’t say no to her.

~~~

“This girl better be worth it,” he grumbled from behind the wheel of his late father’s – now his – Ford Ranger. He hadn’t had a car since the Camaro, which had been totaled before he left Hawkins, but then again he didn’t really need a car in Chicago. He and Heather lived close enough to a station that he could take the L-train to and from work, and his job paid well enough that he could afford to take a cab now and then, if needed. When his dad croaked, a couple of months ago – divorced and with only one kid – Billy inherited his belongings. He sold most of it, but Heather convinced him to keep the truck, claiming it would come in handy.

“Like now,” she’d said, beaming, just before they left. “This way, we don’t have to stand around and wait for the train in the cold.”

“But someone has to be the designated driver,��� Billy had grumbled.

She’d only smiled sweetly at him. “I thought you said you didn’t need to get drunk to have fun,” she’d said, laughing brightly when he gave her the finger.

Now, she sighed wistfully. “She is so worth it,” she said. “Billy, she’s amazing. You’ll see.”

“I guess I will,” he said.

She kept fidgeting in the passenger seat; smoothing over her skirt, touching the ruffles on her blouse, adjusting her bra. Eventually Billy just sighed and said, “Relax, you look good. She’s gonna love you.”

In a rare moment of vulnerability, she turned to him and bit her lip. “You think so?”

He softened. He couldn’t help it, she was his best friend and he wanted her to be happy. “She’d be crazy not to.”

Heather beamed at him for that, and seemed to perk up. Enough to comment, after moment of silence, “Well, maybe you’ll have some fun with her date, too?”

He flattened his lips together. “I’ve told you, I’m not looking to get laid tonight. I’ll be your beard, that’s fine, but don’t try to set me up with some random guy, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m just saying, maybe he’s a babe.”

“Heather.”

“Okay, okay! Be boring, whatever.” She pulled the sun visor down and checked her makeup in the mirror that she had attached with rubber bands. Making a kissy-face, she added, “God forbid you have some actual fun.”

He clapped her on the thigh. “You just worry about your own fun tonight, okay?”

Turning to him, she put her tongue between her teeth and winked at him. “Oh don’t worry, I plan to.”

~~~

It had been a while since Billy had been to a club. He’d definitely not been to this one. It was already packed with people even though it was relatively early, so he supposed it was pretty new.

When he and Heather first moved to the city, they used to go out just about every weekend, but nowadays he preferred other kinds of socializing. Sure, he could go out for a couple of beers with the guys at work on a Friday once in a while, but he was usually one of the first ones to leave. He liked to get his seven hours of sleep, and since he was typically an early riser even in the weekends, that meant going to bed at a reasonable time.

He sighed and shook his head at himself. Heather was right, he needed to get out more.

It wasn’t the first time he had accompanied Heather to one of her dates. Sometimes the other girl was alone and Billy got to act like a shield to the both of them, and sometimes – like today, apparently – the other girl brought a beard, too. And Billy had hooked up with one of them, once. But it only happened that one time, which was why it rubbed him the wrong way that she kept dropping hints about this guy. At this point, Billy had decided to dislike him on principle.

He and Heather walked into the club arm in arm. They turned heads – from both women and men – like he’d known they would. They made a striking couple, after all, and they’d both worn their best outfits. Heather was in a black and red ensemble with fishnets and high heels, with makeup to match, her hair long and loose. Billy – who wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to look good, even if he was just going as a favor to his best friend – wore a wine red button-down and a pair of well-fitting black jeans. He’d lost the mullet a couple of years ago, but still wore his hair long. It still reached his shoulders, but was more evenly cut nowadays.

Despite the fact that the both of them looked good, he had to admit that Heather was outshining him. She had really gone the extra mile tonight, which was a sure sign that she was into this girl. He was preparing to beat hopeful suitors off of her with a bat for the rest of the night.

It started as soon as they got into the club, with several guys tracking them with their eyes as they made their way to the bar. Billy put his arm around Heather’s shoulders and glared at them. He didn’t remember that guys used to be quite so shameless in their ogling, from the last time he was out and about.

They’d barely made it to the bar – hadn’t even caught the bartender’s eye yet – when some dude leaned in close and purred, “Hey there, beautiful. Can I buy you a drink?”

Billy took a steadying breath – this was going to be a long night – and turned to the guy, ready to snap … only to find that the guy was looking at him, not Heather. Smiling at him. Reaching out for his hand, and –

“Uh, no thanks,” Billy managed to stutter as he pulled his hand away from the man’s reach. “We’re kinda … waiting for …”

“We’re waiting for our dates,” Heather said, smiling at the man. “They should be here any time now. Thanks though.”

The guy took it well, only inclined his head and said, “Well, if it doesn’t pan out, come and find me”, smiling all the while.

Once he had backed off, Billy surreptitiously glanced around the room and reassessed the situation before turning to Heather and hissing, “Is this a gay bar?”

She pointed with a thumb over her shoulder, to a corner where two women were kissing right there on the dance floor. Behind them, two muscular man were doing their best reenaction of the Dirty Dancing grind. Raising one eyebrow, she said in the driest voice possible, “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Then why –“ he started, and then lowered his voice and leaned in closer, the leather seat on the chair squeaking. “Then why did you need me as a beard?”

“Oh, I didn’t,” she said brightly. “But you can’t spend all your time at work or at home, Billy, you need to get out, meet some people.”

“So you lied?” he said incredulously, despite being not surprised in the least.

“Yup,” she admitted easily. “We thought it’d be good for you.”

“Wh –“ Billy started, and then fell quiet. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Wait, ‘we’?”

As if on cue, a tall brunette appeared at Billy’s side, and Heather’s eyes lit up. “There you are, babe!” The girls kissed each other on the cheek, and then Heather turned her date around to face Billy. And Billy realized, about two seconds before the girl reached out her hand for him to shake, that he recognized her.

“Hi, Billy right? You probably don’t remember me, but we went to the same high school for a while? Robin Buckley.”

Billy did remember Robin, actually. Remembered her well, even, because not only had she apparently been a part of the whole mall debacle – although from what little Billy heard about it once he woke up in the hospital, she’d been drugged for most of it – she had also always been hanging around–

“Steve!” Heather chirped. “Good to see you!”

Swallowing hard, Billy slowly turned around on his chair, knowing who would be standing there but somehow still being wholly unprepared for it.

Steve Harrington, the guy Billy had had a huge gay crush on back in high school, back in the day when he’d been angry, afraid and closeted. Steve Harrington, who he’d beat up once and then hardly spoken to for the remainder of his time in Hawkins. Steve Harrington, who Billy had seen on the second floor of the mall while he got skewered like a shrimp at a barbecue.

Steve Harrington, who he’d finally admitted to crushing on to Heather, when he shared a hospital room with her during their recovery.

He tried to say now, silently, with his eyebrows only, ‘I know what you’re trying to do’ and ‘I told you that in confidence’. She only shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Oh, you two must know each other already, right? Why don’t you guys catch up, then? Me and Robin are gonna check out the dance floor.” Before Billy thought to open his mouth – not that he knew what he would say – she patted him on the cheek and leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “Have fun.”

And with that, they were gone, leaving Billy alone with his old high school crush.

His old high school crush who had the gall to still look hot. In fact, he might look even hotter now –like he’d grown into his body somehow. He was broader, but also seemed softer, which was a good look on him. His hair was short on the sides and in the back, but still long and voluptuous at the top. Billy wanted to run his fingers through it; an urge he never thought he would experience again, since leaving Hawkins behind.

“Wow,” Harrington now said, awkwardly rubbing at his neck before seemingly shaking himself out of it and reaching out his hand instead. “I mean, hey man. Good to … uh, good to see you.”

It took Billy a second or two to remember his manners, enough that Harrington’s polite smile fell a bit and he moved to pull his hand back. Billy shook himself out of his stupor and grabbed Harrington’s hand, perhaps a bit too hard and fast, and shook it.

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t … I didn’t expect to … see you. Here. Now.” Cursing internally at his sudden inability to speak in full sentences, he took a deep breath and tried again. “It’s good to see you too.” Then he added, because they were currently in a gay club: “You look good.” His cheeks burned as he spoke, but he counted on the low light of the club to hide that fact. Besides, it wasn’t like it wasn’t true.

“Thanks,” Harrington said. “You too.” That’s when Billy realized that they were still holding hands, and he dropped both Harrington’s hand and eye contact, under the guise of hailing down the bartender.

“Uh, drink?”

They ordered their drinks and Billy paid for them both, ignoring Harrington’s half-hearted protests. “Nah, it’s on me.” He did a one-shouldered shrug, glancing at him before looking away, not managing to hold his gaze. “I figure I owe you a drink after what I did to you back in high school.” He motioned with the glass to Harrington’s face, and watched as the other man smiled at the reminder.

“Oh yeah!” he said, sounding way too chipper about it. “I still have a scar from that plate you hit me with, actually.” As if to prove this, he swept his hair out of the way to show off a part of his forehead. Billy sure as hell couldn’t see a scar, even if he strained his eyes, and he didn’t want to lean in closer to get a better look, so he just hummed noncommittally.

“Two drinks then,” he said.

Shrugging, Harrington pulled his hair back in the perfect waves it had been before, and said, “I mean, it’s not that bad. You need to part the hair just right and need, like, a really good lamp to be able to see it, but …” He smiled. Tentatively, Billy smiled back.

“Besides,” Harrington continued, “I feel like I’m the one who should buy you a drink. After what you did for … well, for all of us.”

Nightmarish images flashed before Billy’s eyes for a second, and he didn’t notice that his smile had fallen off his face until Harrington cleared his throat loudly and asked, in an obvious attempt to switch topics, “So, uh. You’re friends with Heather, huh?”

“Yeah,” Billy said, grateful for the opportunity to talk about something else. “We live together, actually. She’s my best friend.” And because there would be no misunderstandings – Billy may not wave his sexuality in people’s faces, but they were currently in a gay club with a seemingly unaffected Harrington, and Billy was done hiding – he added, “Friends only.”

Harrington took a drink from his glass and nodded, his eyes flitting over the people on the dance floor for a second, before looking back at Billy. “I get it. It’s the same with me and Robs. We actually live together, too.”

“Yeah?” Billy said. “Doesn’t that make it awkward when you bring your lady friends home?”

Laughing in a way that made his eyes twinkle, Harrington said, “I could ask you the same thing, Hargrove.” Hearing his name out of Harrington’s mouth was a thrill, but it sounded wrong. He hadn’t been ‘Hargrove’ since high school.

“Billy,” Billy said and added, a little belatedly, “Please. Hargrove was my piece of shit father’s name.”

Harrington looked at him curiously, as if he wanted to ask more, but eventually just nodded. “Billy.”

The moment felt almost charged, before Billy cleared his throat and picked up their conversation. Because fuck it. “And no. Heather is actually way more into the ladies than I am, if you catch my drift.”

“No shit?” And perhaps it was his imagination, but it looked almost as if Harrington choked a bit on his drink at that. A moment later Harrington put his glass down on the surface of the bar and made a show out of inspecting all the bottles on the shelves behind it. “I, uh. I’m more of an equal opportunity guy, myself.” And low light or not, there was definitely a light blush on Harrington’s face now.

“Really?”

A motion that was probably supposed to be a shrug, but was a little too stiff to look relaxed. “Yeah.”

“I just, I never would have guessed, back in school.”

Harrington inclined his head in Billy’s direction, raising his eyebrows. “Ditto.”

That made Billy laugh. “Yeah, it was … it wasn’t the best time of my life, let’s leave it at that.”

Seemingly content to keep things light, Harrington nodded. “Same. And actually, this is a pretty recent discovery. I didn’t …” He looked like he was searching for the right words. “I wasn’t really aware that I had options, back then. It wasn’t until I moved in with Robin, like a year ago, and we started talking, that I realized that it was okay to like both. And, you know,” he gestured vaguely with the hand not holding the glass, “that there was a word for it. For what I am.” He looked around the room at first, before his eyes settled on Billy. He seemed to steel himself before speaking again. “Bisexual.”

As soon as he’d said it, he let out a shaky laugh. “I’m still not used to saying it out loud.”

“I’m gay,” Billy blurted out, bluntly.

Instead of looking at him with pity or disgust, Harrington just kept smiling. He raised his glass in an approximation of a toast and said, “To realizations.”

Billy could say that he realized that he was gay in second grade, but he didn’t. Instead he clinked his own glass to Harrington’s and matched his smile. “I’ll drink to that.”

~~~

They were on their fourth drink – which Harrington had insisted on paying for, this round – and Billy was having a great time. Both of them were skillfully avoiding the heavy topics like monsters and shitty parents, and instead kept to more light-hearted stuff like shared memories from Hawkins’ High and the shenanigans their respective lesbian best friends got up to and often dragged them along for. Now and then, they spotted Heather and Robin on the dance floor – Billy was pleased to see that Heather got to do her grinding – but the girls hadn’t shown their faces in a while now. Not that Billy was too concerned. They’d probably gone to find a dark corner they could make out in.

Honestly, looking at Harrington’s full lips that pulled over white teeth when he smiled, Billy kind of wanted to do the same thing.

“She called me a depressed sad sack and said that I needed to get out more,” Billy confessed, head close to Harrington’s. They were each sitting on a stool next to each other by the bar, leaning in close – so they’d be able to hear each other over the music. No other reason at all. “And then she lied about needing a beard!”

“A what?”

“You know. When you pretend to be a couple so people will back off?” Harrington nodded in understanding, while Billy laughed out loud when it dawned upon him just how funny the whole thing was. “She brought me to a gay bar … and said she needed a beard!”

Even Harrington snickered at that. “Robin just said we should check out this club,” he said, taking a drink from his glass and licking his lips after. “Said we were meeting up with a couple of friends.” He gave Billy a significant look. “So she wasn’t being entirely truthful either.”

“Our best friends are dicks.”

Harrington clinked their glasses together again. “That, they are.” He grinned. “But we love them.”

Billy groaned. “I know, we do. It’s horrible.” And the alcohol must have loosened Billy’s tongue –  either that, or the easy acceptance Harrington had shown so far – because he added, “She knew you’d be here, and she didn’t tell me because she’s a meddling bitch. Which is part of why I love her, but still.”

Harrington raised his eyebrows in question, which made it easy – too easy, really – for Billy to lean in and admit, “She knows that I used to have such a big crush on you back in school. Bet she thought she was being sneaky with this, setting us up or something …” He laughed and fully expected Harrington to laugh with him, but instead he was just looking at Billy. His eyes were dark and intense. A shiver ran down Billy’s spine and he swallowed, mouth dry all of a sudden.

“Now I’m wondering …” Harrington said, voice low, “what Robs and Heather have been talking about.” Before Billy could ask what he meant, he continued, “Because Robin definitely knew that you were going to be here, too, and she didn’t tell me.”

“She probably remembered our fight,” Billy said, licking his lips. It was a thrill to see Harrington’s eyes drop to his lips at the movement. “Didn’t want to scare you off.”

“No,” Harrington said, slowly. “More likely she remembered that time I was a bottle and a half deep in cheap red wine and had my big bisexual realization over the fact that I used to have really confusing wet dreams about you.”

That was a lot of information to process. “What?”

Instead of an answer – or maybe an answer in itself – Harrington’s lips were suddenly on Billy’s, and Billy’s eyes slipped shut. He dropped the glass he was holding – thankfully onto the bar, where it only sloshed out a little – so he could wrap both arms around Harrington’s shoulders and tangle his fingers in the man’s hair. One of Harrington’s hands were in Billy’s own curls, while the other was travelling down his back to slip into the back pocket of his jeans. Billy moaned into the kiss, which made Harrington press into him harder.

“Boys,” someone said, and they sprung apart as if shocked, only to find the bartender raising an unimpressed eyebrow at them.

“Uh, oh, sorry,” Harrington started, but the bartender waved it away.

“I don’t care what you do as long as you don’t whip your dicks out, in which case I would have to ask you to leave.” Billy blushed at that and next to him, to his delight, Harrington did too. The man behind the bar reached out a piece of folded paper between two fingers. “But your friends told me to give you this when you’d, and I quote, ‘gotten your shit together’.” He smirked at their blushing faces. “I’d say your shit looked pretty put together just now, so here you go.” He waved the paper in front of them until Billy snagged it from his hand.

Opening it, he was entirely unsurprised to see what it read. ’We took a cab back to Robin’s place. Have fun. /Heather’. And ‘Don’t come home tonight, dingus! /R’

Billy laughed sharply. “I was her ride!”

“Why don’t you ride me instead?”

Billy’s head flew up and his mouth fell open. Harrington looked like he couldn’t believe he’d just said that, but the surprise only lasted for a moment before it melted away into a smarmy grin. And Billy couldn’t help himself. He snorted.

“That was so bad, Harrington.”

“Steve,” Harrington said.

“What?”

“Harrington is my piece of shit father’s name,” Harr– Steve said, repeating Billy’s earlier words.

“… Steve,” Billy said, tasting the name. It felt right on his tongue.

“Also, may I point out that that wasn’t a no to the riding …”

Jesus. He couldn’t help himself from launching himself at Steve for another round of kissing. When they broke apart next, flushed and panting, Billy leaned in close. “My dad died five months ago,” he whispered, and then took Steve’s earlobe between his teeth for a second, making Steve groan. “He was a homophobic asshole.”

Talking a step back and getting to watch Steve sway slightly in his absence, he cocked his head to the side and looked at him through his lashes.

“I want to blow you in the front seat of my dad’s truck.”

For a couple of seconds, Steve just worked his mouth as if to find words. “I mean …” he started. Licked his lips. Grinned. “Yeah. Good idea. Lead the way.”

[disneyparksattractionstournament]

Round 1 of Extinct Disney Parks attractions and experiences matchups

Group A:

A1:

Horizons vs Space Mountain - Ghost Galaxy

Innoventions vs Magic of Disney Animation

Rocket Rods vs Backlot tour

Disneyland's Peoplemover vs Adventure Thru Inner Space

River country vs Discovery island

Wonders of Life Sensory Fun house vs Honey I Shrunk the Kids playset

Stitch's Great Escape! vs The Enchanted Tiki Room:Under New Management

Shark reef (Typhoon Lagoon) vs Kim Possible: World Showcase Adventure

A2:

Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour vs ExtraTerrorestrial Alien Encounter

The Great Movie Ride vs World of Motion

California Screamin vs Maelstrom

Test Track 1.0 vs Ellen's Universe of Energy

Cranium Command vs El Rio del Tiempo

Journey Into Imagination vs 20k leagues under the sea

Season of the Vine vs Mission Tortilla Factory

Superstar Limo vs Orange Stinger

Group B:

B1:

25th Cake Castle vs Stitch TP castle

Epcot Spaceship Earth Wand/2000 vs Earffel Tower

Pre-Frozen Norway Epcot vs Wonders of Life pavilion

The Land fountain/pre 2004 The Land vs Epcot future world floor fibre optic lights

Downtown disney vs Millennium village

Aunt Polly’s vs Soundstage restaurant

Mouse Gear vs Old World of Disney

Old entrance plaza/section of DCA vs A Bugs Land

B2:

Pizza planet vs Electric umbrella

Big coke bottle mist sprays at MGM vs Space Mountain bouncy walkway after ride

Cinderella Castle Christmas lights vs Old Cinderella Castle colors

Toontown fair vs Streets of America

MGM Sorcerer's hat vs DCA letters

Fountain of Nations vs Old Polynesian Lobby

Ice Station Cool vs Old MK hub/plaza

Pleasure Island vs Disney Quest

Group C:

C1:

Mickey and the Magical Map vs Main Street Electrical Parade

Spirit of Aloha dinner show vs Legend of the Lion King

Remember the Magic/Magical Moments parade vs Dream Along With Mickey show

Magic Journeys vs Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

Illuminations vs Star Wars Fireworks

Red Cad Trolley News Boys vs Club Buzz / Calling All Space Scouts… a Buzz Lightyear Adventure

Character dining at the Liberty Tree Tavern vs Push the Talking Trash Can

Food Rocks/Kitchen Kabaret vs The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History

C2:

Golden Dreams vs Eureka! The California Adventure Parade

Tapetry of Nations parade vs Wishes

Citizens of Hollywood/Main street vs Lucky the Dinosaur

Mickey climbing the Matterhorn vs Disneyland mermaids

Paint the Night Parade vs Mad T Party

Stars and Motorcars parade vs Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade

Animagique vs Kitetails

Spectromagic parade vs Mickey Mania parade

Group D:

D1:

Old Kilimanjaro Safaris with plotline/Little Red VS. Fountains in Small World/old colors

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights vs Jedi Training Academy

Disney dollars vs Hard tickets at Disney World

Old look of chocolate coins in parks(with Dumbo, Jiminy Cricket, and Scrooge) vs Wake Tinker Bell at Tinker Bell’s Treasures

Wading in lakes/beaches vs Riding in the front of the monorail

Tom Sawyer paint brushes vs Magical express

Pal Mickey vs Epcot Living statues

Strawberry Minnie Fruit bars vs Simba Paw ice cream bar

D2:

Extra magic hours(Like, the ones where they stayed open til 12am or even 3am) vs Star Wars Weekends

Yellow ponchos vs Hotel mickey soap

Unique Bedspreads vs Resort Bedtime stories TV

Fun road signs vs Epcot Innoventions and old Entrance loop

Epcot kidcot masks/duffy vs Penny press with cranks

Free roaming characters in Disney World vs Paper fastpasses

Mickey straws vs Pirates of the Caribbean barker parrot

Old attic scene in Haunted Mansion with pop up yelling jump scare ghosts VS. Pre 2007 Spaceship Earth ending

[utilitycaster]

1, 6, 24? (if multiples are allowed ofc!)

Absolutely!

Not everyone by any means, but TLOVM season 2 really did make me go "wow, Vex is popular and I wasn't in the fandom for C1 and watched it in relative isolation, and I knew some people reduced Vex to 'woman grieving over dead twin brother' but I did not realize how many people were going for Spice Girls Movie Girl Power for her"; covered a lot during TLOVM season 2 but Vex is actually really obsessed with her father's approval even as she knows he sucks! She cares so, so much about how other people see her, and many of those people happen to be men (notably Syldor, Vax, and Percy) and she ends the campaign having grown considerably but still caring about these things (perhaps by her appearance in C3 it's lessened, again after three decades of a loving relationship and political power and wealth and acclaim, but it's absolutely still present for all of Campaign 1 ) and her story can't be taken out of that context

6. People who ship Marisha and Laura's characters indiscriminately across multiple campaigns, hands down. Roving slash (or roving M/F shipping, for that matter, which doesn't get the name in part because it's so common it's almost presumed to exist, which isn't great either) always sucks but the narrative for this specifically is always "prickly experienced woman shows sweet naive ingenue the way of love, there are no conflicts or obstacles ever and they live in a cute house and it's great and we forgot 99.9% of the things about their characters, certainly anything interesting" and also there's just rampant harassment all the time. Like, there are actually good things about the C2 and C3 ships thereof even if I'm not a fan, but if you stray two inches from the party line on what the ship should be, your head gets chopped off, and I'm not about that life.

24. Perhaps because it's fresh in my mind for several reasons but character art discourse. At "best" it's just another version of "fanon is purer because it was made by people who are fans" as if the official artists aren't also usually fans and as if that is even true in the first place (it is not). At worse, people start nitpicking the precise measurements of characters' faces and bodies in a way that makes me, a Jewish woman who lifts weights for fun and exercise, want to scream. A good rule of thumb in life is to always ask yourself if you sound a little too much like a 1920s phrenologist/eugenicist or a 70s-90s women's magazine offering ED-triggering diets or a modern day transphobe claiming you can spot trans women because of their facial features, and stop talking if you do, and people discoursing about character art dip into those three pools nonstop.

[dndhistory]

89. Harold Johnson & Jeff R. Leason - C1: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan  (1980)

One of the wordiest adventure modules we've had up until now, this was actually released in a limited fashion in 1979 as a competition module at Origins '79 under the title: "Lost Tamoachan: The Hidden Shrine of Lubaatum", but the mass market version was this 1980 version (with a color update for the cover later on). 

Tamoachan is a really detailed module, with immense descriptions of each area as well as visual aids for each room in the dungeon. The dungeon itself is a reverse dungeon in the sense that you start at the bottom and need to go up to reach freedom rather than exploring down as is the case in most adventures. The setting is Greyhawk and more specifically in the Olman islands which are introduced in this module, a clear one for one lift from Mayan, Aztec, Olmec and other mesoamerican cultures.

The party is stuck underground, inside a pyramid and goes from room to room in order to find freedom. In a kind of Haunted House style each room has a different danger and puzzle to fix in order to move on to the next one. Full of undead and even stranger things (the Gibbering Mouther makes his debut here, for example), the pyramid is really a temple complex, with different areas dedicated to different gods, both good, evil and neutral. Added to this setup are a bunch of really cool illustrations to help players visualise their surroundings. A fun adventure for sure. 

[somesortofitalianroast]

Bucky Barnes Bingo 2023 Masterpost: Blackout!

B1: AU: Coffee shop - Gen - James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark - No archive warnings apply - 1283 - A holiday party at Wide Awake.

U1: AU: no powers - Teen - Tony/Bucky; Jane/Darcy - No archive warnings apply - 3352 - A Spinster for a Duke; A Merchant for a Soldier

C1: Kink: body worship - Explicit - Bucky/Scott Lang - No archive warnings apply - 1737 - To touch is to heal (to hurt is to steal)

K1: "Dying ain't so bad" - Mature - Bucky/Scott Lang - No archive warnings apply - 1332 - and the night would be enough

Y1: Holiday fic - Teen - Steve/Bucky - No archive warnings apply - 1082 - Fireworks in Brooklyn

B2: Denial - Mature - Bucky Barnes/Darcy Lewis - No archive warnings apply - 1729 - Autumn in Vermont (Chapter 1: A MixUp at the Rental House)

U2: Thor - Explicit - Steve/Thor; Steve/Bucky/Thor - No archive warnings apply - 3612 - a cabin in the woods

C2: Kink: Bath/shower sex - Explicit - Shrinkyclinks | Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes/Non-Serum Steve Rogers - No archive warnings apply - 1362 - bloodied knuckles and the beginnings of a black eye

K2: Adopting a pet - Gen - Tony/Bucky - No archive warnings apply - 1691 - A Kitten for a Sergeant

Y2: Pic: Bucky from TFATSW - Mature - Bucky/Darcy - No archive warnings apply - 967 - Alphas and Omegas and Heats, Oh My! (Chapter 2)

B3: Two Halves of a Whole Idiot - Gen - Scott Lang/Steve Rogers - No archive warnings apply - 1191 - in handcuffs on RICO charges

U3: Meet Cute - Teen - Stucky - No archive warnings apply - 1244 - Touch [The Bucky Barnes Remix]

C3: FREE - Teen - Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - No archive warnings apply - 1158 - I need your loving (I stab you in the back)

K3: Hurt/Comfort - Gen - Bucky/Scott Lang - No archive warnings apply - 1589 - Of coffee shops, hockey, and poké

Y3: Little Sister - Mature - Bucky/Darcy - No archive warnings apply - 1642 - well, this is awkward

B4: Image of WS in Murderstrut (swapped with RebelMeg) - mature - James "Bucky" Barnes/Qui-Gon Jinn - creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - 2149 - Of broken bonds, secret relationships, and mad scientists

U4: Pic of Seb - Mature - Pre-Stucky - No archive warnings apply - 1798 - of practical jokes and secret admirers

C4: Through a scope - mature - steve/scott - No archive warnings apply - 4300 - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant [chat version]

K4: Canon compliant - Teen - N/A - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - 872 - Erik Lehnsherr and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Y4: AU: Hospital - Teen - Clint Barton & Darcy Lewis, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers - No archive warnings apply - 1601 - “So, come here often?”

B5: recovery - Mature - Darcy Lewis/Buckhy Barnes - No archive warnings apply - 1059 - Alphas and Omegas and Heats, Oh My! (Chapter 1)

U5: Music - Mature - Darcy Lewis/Buckhy Barnes - No archive warnings apply - 1442 - Autumn in Vermont (Chapter 2: An Accidental Kiss.... )

K5: Guns - Teen - Clark Kent/Darcy Lewis - No archive warnings apply - 1147 - In Metropolis, even the mild-mannered reporters are bulletproof

Y5: Cat Dad - Gen - Bucky/Steve - No archive warnings apply - 1324 - Bucky Barnes. Author. Cat Dad.

Adopted: Enemies to Lovers - Mature - Bucky/Darcy - No archive warnings apply - 827 - Autumn in Vermont (Chapter 3: Bucky and Stella?)

@buckybarnesbingo

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

Kilts and Dresses Part 2

A fill for @steveharringtonbingo Card 1

Square: C1 - Crossdressing

Title: Kilts and Dresses

Rating: Explicate

Word Count: 6492

Ship(s): Steve Harrington x Kilt Guy

Additional Tags: Tina's Halloween Bash (Stranger Things), House Party, Drinking, Semi-Public Sex, Blow Jobs, Public Blow Jobs, Face-Fucking, Come Swallowing, Coming Untouched, Coming In Pants, Voyeurism, Getting Back Together, Crossdressing, This Is Awakening Some Things, Rimming, Intercrural Sex, Wet & Messy, Hand Jobs       

Summary: Part 2 where Kenneth gets Steve in a dress and then gets under it.

Kilts and Dresses Part 2 - It’s Not A Skirt but It’ll Do

Steve barely has his coat and shoes off before Kenneth is on him. Laughing as Kenneth grabs him, arm sliding under his ass tossing him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Even if the jaunt up the stairs is a little jarring, a shoulder pressing uncomfortably into his ribs he does not care. He missed this too much to complain.

Instead of heading right at the top of the stairs and heading to Steve’s room, Kenneth goes left leaving him confused until he is walked through the double doors to his parents’ bedroom. This will not be the first time they have messed around in here, his parents gone so much that hardly any of the house is untouched by Steve’s libido.  It is when they leave the bedroom and enter the walk in closet that he gets confused all over again.

Kenneth finally sets him down when he is in front of the large plush ottoman Steve used to sit on when he was little watching his mother get ready. It is also not the first time they have been in this closet together but they do not need to hide from anyone right now.

“What are we doing in here?” Steve cocks his head as he sits on the ottoman watching Kenneth as he moves over to the racks of expensive clothing, hands tracking over various garments of soft textures. 

Kenneth looks at Steve over his shoulder. “Told you I want to get up under your skirt. I know your moms got all kinds of silky soft stuff in here.” Something he knows from a dinner party for the swim team Steve’s parents threw before he got with Nancy. Fond memories of the two of them hiding behind the rack, still making out like horny teenagers as Steve’s parents had a tiff about some mistress unaware of the two boys close by.

Read the Rest on Ao3

[lorifragolina]

Sweet Pies

Seventh entry for Mungrove Summer Bingo 2023 prompt: C1 Outdoor concert

@mungrovebingos

Four rings and a last concert

Eddie Munson looked through the curtains at the side of the stage.

Gareth Emerson was at his side. He was paler than usual, and sweaty.

“Do you think it’s the right thing?”

Eddie turned to Gareth, smiling to who despite all, was still his best friend.

“Of course. 100%. The best thing”.

Gareth sighted, not persuaded.

All started, and in some way finished, a week ago at the mansion in Montecito.

Eddie, Billy and Steve just confessed to each other they were in love, and that they wanted to be boyfriends, and also confessed to the band they were the three together and the photos a gossip magazine published lately weren’t a problem for them.

It was a little weird but they didn’t mind, on the contrary they were relieved because they wouldn’t have problems working with Steve and his series. Gareth even asked him to sign his book.

They had a little party after the dinner, to celebrate they finished their work and they had only another gig to go before some well deserved time off.

Eddie sometimes looked at Gareth and Martha, his girlfriend, because he overheard some calls between them and was a little concerned; they were a little distant, it seemed to him, during the dinner. He was just looking at them when Gareth called for their attention touching the glass with a knife.

“Friends, could you please take a drink?” Fred gave a soda to his children, and Martha took another for herself. Eddie poured three whisky shots.

Gareth looked at Martha and smiled. “Well, Martha and I… we are expecting!” he blushed really a lot, and Martha started crying and everything they tried to say after that was covered by their absolute roar of happiness.

What Eddie overheard were in fact concerned calls, because they had a miscarriage the last year, that they didn’t tell anyone, and while Gareth was at the mansion, they were waiting for the analytics Martha took. Finally everything was sorted good, she reported personally at the mansion, they are finally pregnant and not with only one, but with two big and healthy babies.

Eddie had to comfort Billy, who was weeping, and he couldn't completely process the fact that Gareth wanted to take some time from Corroded Coffin to focus on his family.

“What news” smiled Billy, when they returned to Eddie's room, still shaken and excited.

“Indeed” said Eddie, laconically, going to the balcony to light a cigar.

“It’s all ok, Eddie?” said Steve, taking off his shirt.

“Are you worried for the band?” insisted Billy too.

Eddie smoked a little, quietly. The pool was surrounded with lights, he could see the moon and smell the summer in the air.

“Eddie?” Steve came out on the balcony. He wore only his underwear, his skin was covered in sweet moles and his skin was lightly gold, shimmering. Eddie looked at him, he was so happy and joyful and felt the warmth of his skin.

“It’s all right, yes” he smiled, throwing away the cig. “I’m going to buy this place” he added, coming into the bedroom.

“What?” said Billy. “It would cost a fuckilion, Eddie!”

Eddie laughed. “Well, maybe a similar place is a little less expensive. But I want to buy a house here. I really want”.

“Are you sure? What happened?”

“Well… I have money. And I… we can stay here together. I mean…I can build a studio here, and a gym for Billy, and… well, whatever Steve does”.

Steve opened his eyes and snorted. “I write, Eddie. I’m a writer. I write”

“Oh yes? Ok, whatever…” Steve threw a pillow against him. “There is a little outbuilding where you can stay away from our chaos”

Eddie looked away, lying on the bed.” I… I am happy, really. I want to be happy forever”

Billy lied down at his side. “And you think you can be happy buying this place?” he laughed.

“Maybe” Eddie smiled. Steve took the other side. “And if it won’t work, at least I’d fuck you two in the pool”.

Steve laughed in return, and tickled him, then sat on top of him and kissed him deeply.

And now, they were there, side to side, backstage, in a big stage in Central Park, New York, for the last concert they would do together for a large amount of time.

“You can tell me the truth, Eddie, are you really fine with this?”

“Gareth, it couldn’t be in a better moment. We just released the album, we finished the jingles and the soundtrack, and I think you can come to the studio sometimes if we need you. We also just finished the tour… don’t worry. It’s the right thing, absolutely”.

Gareth smiled shyly. He took a little box from his pocket, stroking it with his thumb.

“What if I am a bad father? Or if I couldn’t be a good… husband?” he was shivering a little, opening the box, and Eddie thought he needed to calm down to play in a few minutes. He already saw Gareth scared, in their first concerts for example, but never scared to death like in that moment.

“Gareth, you’re simply as good, I promise you. You just have to try, it’s what all us do, and you’re good. Don’t be scared now, it is nonsense”.

Gareth let go a little whine. “What if I ruined everyone’s life?”

“And what if you don’t? Come on, Gareth…” Eddie hugged him lightly and looked him in the eyes. “You can count on me and I… I am scared too, you know”.

Gareth smiled and shook his head. “For the rings? Don’t be silly, you have never to be scared of”.

When they returned from Montecito, Gareth called Eddie one morning. He asked him to join him for a coffee and Eddie knew it was strange.

Gareth asked him to go with him to buy a ring for Martha. They talked about marriage before, and the two agreed it was not a priority for the moment. But now, with two babies on the way, Gareth wanted to give Martha a present, a real ring and a wedding to give her peace and safety.

“This one is really you” Eddie pointed to a red gold ring with a dark yellow stone, with a lilac accent. “It really recalls your eyes”.

“Oh, you’re being really romantic, aren’t you?” Gareth smiled and looked him in the eyes, then took the ring and looked it near.

“Now the girl will think we are boyfriends” Gareth whispered and giggled silly.

“Yeah…” Eddie answered a little absent minded. His look was captured by a display with simpler and more masculine rings.

“I’ll take this” insisted Gareth. He paid, but Eddie still stared at those rings.

“Eddie?”

“What if… what if I buy those rings?” he pointed to a wide white gold band with black enamel hints, matte, and a little stone of yellow gold in the center.

“For…”

Eddie nodded. “For… for them both. Maybe it’s too soon?” he looked at Gareth, and he saw, maybe for the first time, a real struggle in Eddie’s face.

“Why not?”

“I… I love Billy and I love Steve, but I met him a really little time ago, but…”

“What do you think if you imagine giving them a ring?”

Eddie smiled and seemed lightened a little. “I imagine myself really happy…”

“Eddie, you found two people that see the life just as you see it… what makes you happy make them happy and you all have the same idea about the relationship, and it’s so rare… throw yourself”

Eddie nodded. They both left something to engrave on the rings and Gareth explained his idea for the proposal to Eddie, who happily agreed.

“You can’t be scared of the rings, they will faint for happiness”.

Eddie nodded. “Yes, but it’s not for this,” Eddie sighed. “I made an offer for a mansion in Montecito,” he confessed. Gareth cursed a little.

“What?” was the only thing he could say.

Eddie nodded again. - I wanted a house, and I made an offer. It’s almost all my money, and if something goes wrong I will be homeless and broke-.

“Wow” said Gareth, and “Wow” again, after a while. “With… Billy and Steve?”

“I would live with them, yes, but the house would be mine… I never had a place of mine before” .

“Yes. I am sure all will go right, you can always count on me” smiled Gareth, and now he didn’t feel so scared anymore.

When they came out on the stage, Eddie tried to find Billy and Steve in the crowd, but it was quite impossible. He offered them the VIP zone but they preferred to have a picnic and a rest in the park trying to maintain a low profile. He hoped they were in the crowd hand in hand, and kissing while he was singing. He tried to put all the love he felt in his performance.

When they unexpectedly announced that that would be the last concert in a while, the crowd exploded and people got closer and more moved, screaming and singing the songs and dancing and cheering.

Near the end of the show, he presented his bandmates and they went out together. After a little while, Eddie came out again with an acoustic guitar and a stool, and the crowd gasped and rumbled in waiting.

Eddie took the mic.

“Well, my friends, today is a really unique day. We announced we will get a pause from live concerts, and I think now you expect our encore with our classic tracks that we love dearly. But today is special” Eddie's voice shivered, and he took a breath, he was really, really moved himself “and I want to call on the stage my best friend, you know, Gareth Emerson, my brother. Come on, come here, Gareth!”.

The crowd started to call Gareth loudly, and the drummer came to the stage with a nervous smile and completely red.

Eddie hugged him, and looked with the corner of the eye to the VIP zone, where Martha was just as curious as the others. Jeff went to her and took her hand driving her to the ladder of the stage, and she giggled and went to the stage covering her face, with her little baby bum visible under her Corroded Coffin crop top. The silence of the crowd was tangible.

Eddie sat and started strumming softly on the guitar.

“Come on, Gareth” he whispered, far from the mic. Gareth nodded, touching his back pocket. He tried to talk to the mic and his voice was uncertain and thin.

“Well, Martha, Eddie helped me do this thing, so please don’t be mad at me” and then people laughed and he gained confidence. “Everybody, she is Martha, my girlfriend, Martha, please, come nearer”

Jeff pushed a little Martha and then went away.

“How’d you do, darling?” said Eddie, distracting her. She giggled and said something, and in that moment Gareth took the ring box from his pocket and said in the mic: “Marta, do you want to marry me?” and then knelt in front of her.

The crowd went crazy, Eddie didn’t feel ashamed for the tears he was crying, and Martha was speechless hiding her face in her hands.

Gareth opened the box and handed it to Martha. He was smiling silly and a little nervous.

Martha nodded, at first just a little, then more convinced. “Yes, yes!” she cried at last.

Gareth put the ring on her finger and then they hugged and kissed.

“She said yes,” said Eddie from his corner, and everybody laughed, breaking the tension. Gareth took Martha’s hand and showed it to the crowd, clapping, screamed and whistled, completely happy.

Eddie kept playing during all the show, and when Gareth and Martha went away, he announced the last song, a new ballad he secretly wrote in the last two weeks, that he called "Sweet pies”.

“This song is… for somebody out there. You completely changed my life and you gave me the sweetness I didn’t know I needed, " he said, his voice trembling.

He wasn’t used to writing love songs, but he sang with his heart in his lips and, again, searching in the crowd his two boyfriends, while he was feeling his own box in his own back pocket, like it was vibrating.

He went down from the backstage, some fans were there and he signed a couple of autographs, then two special fans reached him, holding their hands, one with a baseball hat and mirror glasses, wearing a really hot pants and a crop top and another with an oversize Corroded Coffin sleeveless shirt and a little red sunburnt in all his uncovered skin, and no sunglasses.

“The joy of being a writer, nobody knows your face” said Steve, pointing to his burned skin.

“I told you to use sunscreen, I even offered to spread it on you”.

Steve kissed Billy sweetly, then smiled at Eddie who was looking at them with sparkling eyes.

“Come here” said him, taking the hands of both into the backstage again, where they were alone.

Billy took off hat and glasses and immediately clung to Eddie, kissing him hungrily. Steve came in turn and they stayed a long moment kissing and touching ferally.

“That song was beautiful” whispered Billy, trying to take off Eddie's shirt while Steve was busy with his pants. “Awesome,” added Steve.

“Wait a minute, guys, wait” Eddie tried to stop them, that was really strange, and both looked at him with a concerned glance.

“Let me say a thing first” Eddie put a hand on his back pocket. - Did you say what Gareth did, right?”

They nodded. “Oh, it was really, really sweet,” said Billy, drying his eyes. Eddie knew that things could only get worse and wetter.

“Yeah” continued Eddie. “And I think…” he took the box and showed it to the other two “although we can’t properly marry, I think, for now… I wanted to give you something…” he opened the box and they saw the three identical rings, in a red velvet fabric, shining quietly in Eddie’s hand.

“Oh my god” said Billy, weeping again, to no one’s surprise. “Oh my god, is it real?” he looked at Eddie, and then at Steve, who was speechless for once, processing and realizing things.

“Eddie…” he said carefully, looking at the rings. “You really want… we… we know for a little time…”

“Yes, I know, but… but I feel this is the moment. With you both. I… I love you. Really. I want to…” he couldn’t find the words.

“Yes” said Billy, smiling and crying and shivering. “Yes. Yes!”

Steve nodded too, he was so overwhelmed his voice was dull in his throat.

Eddie took a ring and put it at Billy’s finger, then at Steve’s. He put his ring to himself and they hugged together feeling it was indeed the right moment and the right place.

Then Eddie slipped his hands under Billy’s top, and he rapidly dried his face and put a sly smile on it.

Steve came back to Eddie’s pants, and after a while he dropped to his knees, maybe it wasn’t him who had to kneel for the proposal, but nobody complained.

Eddie leaned against a table and grabbed his hair with his now engaged hand.

He engraved E, B, S, in each ring, and it was really all they needed, now and forever.

[britcision]

And this is literally what I mean about Matt Mercer unfinding my goddamn family

10 years after their last fucking meeting? 10 years? They haven’t got the whole gang together in 10 goddamn years after the Uk’otoa fight?

And yeah sure they’re meeting up in bits and pieces in between I’m sure they’ll mention it, if they remember, but this is why American rpg game endings suck

“And then they all went their separate ways from the people they had seen every day and saved the world with and didn’t really think about each other ever again (unless we want them to reunite for a DLC)

But be super invested in their interpersonal relationships anyway. It won’t change the ending, but your choices totally matter”

(Ignore that c3 is only 6-7 years after the M9’s final campaign ep and the Ikithon fight and has not even hit the full year yet timeline consistency is fucking hard okay)

(Gonna be fun to see how they handle that Caleb and Beau were canonically off with Bells Hells without the rest of their friends when the solstice started, I’m hoping for “this is how the rest of the Nein go rescue them” and also CADUCEUS GODDAMN CLAY

They fucking STOLE his “deal with Molaesmyr” DIVINE MISSION PERSONALLY SENT TO HIS ASS BY THE WILDMOTHER and just haven’t even addressed it so I’m double hoping for Some Kind Of Goddamn Explanation for what exactly the Clays are doing about The Evil Cursed Forest They Literally Fucking Live In And Their Goddess Personally Paged The Lot Of Them To Deal With Before It Tries To Eat Their Fucking House Again

I will accept “Caddy stayed home he likes it at home and let the others handle it” (cuz that went super well and in a way that totally wouldn’t have traumatized him last time) if I must but for fuck’s sake the only elven amputee they ever met in game is Keyleth’s lost mother how the fuck did they send the new party to The Woods By Caddy’s House His Family Were Personally Charged With Fixing and not run into a single fucking Clay?????)

Also since the one thing we know happened to Beau and Caleb around the solstice was getting yote to destinations unknown (hopefully together) the reuniting aspect is gonna be fun while the magic’s fucked 👀

I’ll admit to a passing curiosity about how much of Bell’s Hells current solstice-and-Ruidus-heavy plot line they’re going to let the Nein deal with in the one shot but honestly not enough to catch up with Bells Hells

Like. Matt’s not gonna let them deal with anything important to Bell’s Hells “offscreen” for that campaign. He’s just not gonna. So hunting Ludinous for sport would be fucking excellent, but I don’t think he’d let them do it?

If they were visiting Vox Machina to rescue Vax it would not just be a Mighty Nein headline

Matt isn’t gonna let them just handle anything that Bell’s Hells have been building up to for months and months

I thought we’d gotten a pretty solid grip on everything that was happening with the moon… as part of the Bell’s Hells plot that’s been building for months and months

Beau and Caleb are explicitly involved in the Bell’s Hells plot that has been building for months and months but explicitly under Matt’s thumb, not Liam and Marisha’s

(And he’s gonna have to give them just all the juicy plot stuff the Empire Sibs have been doing that they might not have told the Hells because this is the first time Matt’s taken over a PC and then given them back at a point explicitly later in the timeline

So Liam and Marisha need to know what their characters have been doing last week while Matt controlled them for Bell’s Hells to play them in line with how Matt played them

And Liam literally built Orym as an excuse to reuse all his c1 knowledge he hates keeping information separate between characters but Orym can’t know what Caleb’s been up to)

[ibelieveinturtles]

Darcy Lewis Bingo HQ Masterlist, 2022

I've had this ready for posting for a couple of months now, but was putting it off because I hoped to fill the last few empty squares first. I've decided I'll just update the post once I do those last few fills.

This list includes my Darcy Lewis Bingo Card from 2021-2022 as run by @grimeysociety, as well as three cards from the DLBHQ 2022 mini round, and a whole bunch of adoptables and weekly challenges.

@darcylewisbingohq Full List is below the cut because it's loooong….

Name on Card: Turtles

Card #: ABC002

Name on Card: Turtles

Card #: ABC002

Dr. Darcy Lewis Card

A1: Space Travel - Nexus - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen

A2: Regency AU - This Kind of Thing Chapter 2, Finding Darcy - Darcy Lewis & Sam Wilson - Gen -

A3: "It can't be purely for my enjoyment, can it?" - Doing It Wrong - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

B1: Westview, NJ - "What? I'm Invested?" - N/A - Gen - Moodboard

B2: Found a Dragon Egg - currently unfilled

B3: Free Fill Token - Welcome To The Apocalypse (In The Future, Chapter Two) - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

C1 : A pet is acting strangely - currently unfilled

C2: Taser - Laying The Bait - Darcy/Bucky - Mature -

C3: Avengers Hot Tub Time Machine - In The Future - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Multiverse Madness Card

A1: Robots - In The Bad Timeline, Chapter 3 - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

A2 : Pleasure Gardens - A Budding Romance - Darcy & Jane - Gen -

A3: Portals - A Change of Plants - Darcy & Jane - Gen -

B1: Wings - How To Marry A Prince Of Hell - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

B2: Practical Joke - Nineteen Ninety Something, Chapter 2 - A Time And Place - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

B3: Night at the Theatre - Nutcracker Night - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

C1: Astronaut - Nexus - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

C2: Curiosity Shop - Curioser and Curioser - n/a - Gen -

C3: Sentient Slime - In The Loop - Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark - Teen -

Queen Of Halloween Card

A1: Taxidermy - The Perils of Very Old Houses - Darcy Lewis & Jane Foster - Gen -

A2: Gothic Album - How To Marry A Prince Of Hell - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

A3: Ottoman Empire - Can You Install WiFi In A Coke Bottle - Darcy Lewis & Jane Foster - Gen -

B1: Breaking The Sound Barrier - In The Halls Of The Mountain King - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

B2: Ancient Rome - The Rose Garden - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

B3: Freakshow - Nineteen Ninety Something, Chapter 3 - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

C1 : Automat Cafeteria - currently unfilled

C2: "Honey I shrunk the___" - Wrong Number - Darcy & Bucky, Bucky & Sam, Sam & Darcy - Gen -

C3 : Accidental Demon Baby acquisition - How To Summon A Minor Demon - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Darcy Lewis Bingo 2021/22

D1 : No One Cares - In The Bad Timeline - Multi - Gen -

D2: Meet Ugly - Nineteen Ninety Something - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

D3: Adopted: Jeans - Laying The Bait - Darcy/Bucky - Mature -

D4: True Love's Kiss - The Easter Goose - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

D5: Adopted: Stained Glass Window - Welcome To The Apocalypse (In The Future, Chapter Two) - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

A1: Mind Control - How To Marry A Prince Of Hell - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

A2: Adopted: Hurt, Johnny Cash - In The Future - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

A3 : Kidnap - Kidnapped - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Mature -

A4: Adopted: Demon - How To Summon A Minor Demon - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

A5: Love Potion - Love Starts With A Spark - Darcy Lewis/Sam Wilson - Teen -

R1: Party Swap: Candlelit Dinner - Silent Auction - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Gen -

R2 : Witch Darcy Lewis - The Cat Chooses The Witch - Darcy Lewis/Wanda Maximoff - Gen -

R3 : Free Space - Compliance - Sharon Carter & Darcy Lewis - Teen -

R4: Darcy X Bucky - In The Bad Timeline, Chapter 2 - pre Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

R5: Dragon Scales - In The Loop - Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark - Teen -

C1 : Noodle Cup - Learning To Fly - Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark - Gen -

C2: Doctor - This Kind Of Thing Chapter 2, Finding Darcy - Darcy Lewis & Sam Wilson - Gen -

C3 : Image from Wandavision - New Year Mission - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Gen -

C4: Adopted: Angel - How To Marry A Prince Of Hell - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

C5: Coffee - Space Diplomat School - Darcy Lewis/Sam Wilson - Gen -

Y1: Pruning - All The Single Ladies (In The Future, Ch3) - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Y2: Adopted: Observatory - When Stars Are Involved (All These Stars Exist, Ch 2) - Jane Foster/Bucky Barnes, Darcy Lewis & Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Y3 : Darcy X Brock - Lies, Damn Lies, and Spoilers - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Y4: Salem - Doing It Wrong - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Y5 : Debriefs Are For The Week - Glow - Darcy Lewis & Monica Rambeau - Gen -

Weekly Challenges and Party Swaps

Party Swap: Moon - AW0000! - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Party Swap: Magic AU - The Wardrobe - n/a - Gen -

Party Swap: Movie AU - Nexus - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Drabble: washcloth - Mud - N/A - Gen -

Moodboard: Picture of Lemon Stall - On The Amalfi Coast - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Drabble: Picture of an Orange Kiosk - Working Holiday - Darcy & Jane - Gen -

Drabble: Storm playlist - Beck and Call - Darcy/Brock - Gen -

Moodboard: Storm photos - Bedtime Stories - N/S - Gen -

Drabble: "We're gonna need a bigger boat." - Portal Mania - n/a - Gen -

Moodboard: Too Many Captains - Portal Mania - n/a - Gen -

Drabble: "Pink" Aerosmith - Zoo Day - n/a - Gen -

Moodboard: Pantone "Candy Pink" - Zoo Day - n/a - Gen -

Writing: Picnic - This Kind Of Thing, Chapter 2: Finding Darcy - Darcy Lewis & Sam Wilson - Gen -

Moodboard: Giving each other flowers - Flowers - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Gen -

Writing: Reverse Harem - The Queen's Consorts - Darcy Lewis/Multi - Teen -

Moodboard: Reverse Harem - The Queen's Consorts - Darcy Lewis/Multi - Teen -

Writing: Plant Week - Alien Plant - A Budding Romance - Darcy Lewis/?, Darcy Lewis & Jane Foster - Gen -

Moodboard: Botany/Botanist - Love Blooms - N/A - Gen -

Writing: A Wealthy Benefactor - A Change of Plants - Darcy Lewis & Jane Foster - Gen -

Writing: Time Period AU (Late 20th century) - Nineteen Ninety Something Chapter 2 - A Time And Place - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Writing: Ambience - Nineteen Ninety Something, Chapter 3 - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Moodboard: Ambience - Nineteen Ninety Something, Chapter 3 - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Writing: Apocalypse - In The Bad Timeline, Chapter 3 - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Moodboard: Apocalypse - In The Bad Timeline, Chapter 3 - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Writing: Magical school week - Can You Install WiFi In A Coke Bottle - Darcy Lewis & Jane Foster - Gen -

Moodboard: Magical School week - The White Tower - n/a - Gen -

Writing: Creature Feature Week - The Rose Garden - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Moodboard: Creature Feature Week - The Rose Garden - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Writing: Supernatural Families Week - How To Summon A Minor Demon - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Moodboard: Supernatural Family week - How To Summon A Minor Demon - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Gen -

Writing: Fairy Tale/Scary Tale Week - How To Marry A Prince Of Hell - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Moodboard: Fairy Tale/Scary Tale Week - How To Marry A Prince Of Hell - Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow - Teen -

Writing: Abandoned spaces/Urban Decay - Welcome To The Apocalypse - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Writing: outdoors week - All The Single Ladies (In The Future Ch3) - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Writing: Cold - Time - Darcy Lewis & Death (Discworld) - Gen -

Writing: Blizzard - Home for the Gingerbread Festival - Darcy Lewis/? - Gen -

Writing: Music Week - Darcy's iPod - In The Loop - Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark - Teen -

Moodboard: Light Week - Nexus - n/a - Gen -

Writing: In The Mountains Week - In The Halls of The Mountain King - Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes - Teen -

Writing: Darcy's iPod - In The Loop - Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark - Teen -

Name on Card: Turtles

Card #: ABC002

[naddpod-encounter-tourney]

Option 1:

Enemy: Chosen Airship (15 people of various strength)

Episode: C1 E19: The Purge

Time: (ads) 30:03-53:55 (Cobb's last death save: 1:31:45-1:33:33)

Finish: it's a lot of scrubs so a lot of cleave and NPCs get most of the kills. Matty Big Crits finishes the Captain though.

Notes: Splitting the party couldn't possibly go wrong! Cobb and Hardwon face off against 15 people with 3 White Nights. They're immediately so fucked. Hardwon goes down so fast and most of the encounter is Murph fighting himself. Matty Big Crits makes his mark. Death's door is where Cobb is most comfortable.

Propaganda: (anonymous) Matthias of House Crit! An early instance of Murph refusing to tone down an unexpectedly lethal fight. Jake’s nat 20 death save for Cobb was spectacular

Option 2:

Enemy: Undead Dragon, Wilhelm Bronzebeard, Pale Prince, Akarot, Rust Bronzebeard

Episodes: C1 E45: Kingshammer

Time: (ads) 38:36 - 1:45:58 (but don't stop there. fr)

Finish: Bev (Wilhelm* (*Technically killed by gravity but Bev did trip with him on his back), Dragon), Hardwon (Rust* (*given the option of catching him, refused), Pale Prince)

Notes: Hardwon faces his childhood bullies in the snow. Wilhelm casts Earthquake and turns things into a fall/chase encounter as everyone races for the Kingshammer. Moonshine jumps down immediately to play defense. Bev tries to kill Akarot, who just leaves, and then has to keep saving everyone. He ends up being the only one with decent HP at the end, and this fight is so close to a TPK. Hardwon gets the Kingshammer. Paw Paw has to do CPR on Balnor.

Propaganda: (anonymous) The fact that Murph was able to design this sheer number of factors and have it be balanced perfectly as a dire, near-deadly, but winnable fight, is so impressive. And those factors were so creative. There was the kingshammer falling 2d100 every round, and players able to run or fall to get to it, a complicated goal that invited gambling, sacrifice, and creative use of spells. There was major bad guy Akarot in his prime body, the pale prince, and a fucking white dragon. There was Wilhelm Bronzebeard and his shit nephew-son who wouldn’t pick a side. There was Toma and her wolf slowly steadily running down the mountain in the background lol. There was escalation that made the battle start before Wilhelm’s avalanche, navigated flexibly by Murph. He was not fucking around, throwing Bev’s amulet into the snow, and keeping track of so many enemies and their conflicting motivations as well as their mechanics. The imagery in my mind of the chaotic tumbling snow is so real, and the scene of the last conscious pc exchanging blows with a dragon was so fucking epic. And the terror at the end of genuinely not knowing whether they were going to have won the battle only to freeze to death. Such a thick sode, a chunky battle, an incredible narrative, such a cool encounter for an arc finale.