#debra rambles

[debrathesexmaster]

Why do men get to name female anatomy after themselves? Imagine if I named the penis-

"Debris Dickicus"

[aashiqeddiediaz]

i’m so glad they let debra (the actor who plays sue) take over the instagram because she’s so adorable and clearly loves her dispatch fam

[jdorian]

not Debra liking one of my comments on insta 😭😭🫶

[gourde]

Sorry going to be a hater for a second. I can't stand astrology.

[timeisacephalopod]

I find it weird that parents think the only people who can give parenting advice is other parents, because while experience with actually having children is of course invaluable, most parents are dog shit parents. Like sorry guys deciding to have a kid didn't make you an expert on children, it made you the hostage holder of an actual human being a shocking number of parents will abuse while claiming it's for the kids own good while denying any and all expert opinion or opinions from adults who's parents had similar parenting styles just because their ego can't handle being told they're shit at parenting.

Like no offense to parents but having a kid doesn't actually make you qualified to say shit about parenting when any idiot can have a kid, but actually raising that kid is a totally different ball game. And in my experience most parents fucking suck at it and refuse to hear that they do because they think being biologically capable of reproducing is a replacement for actual expertise.

[demonholdingalillie]

Anyone else feel like sharing music is a sacred ritual to test the bond between you and another person? Like music is just so- personal to me I guess?

Like sarcasm is my main love language, but you be sarcastic about my music taste and put it down for fun, and I immediately don't like you in that moment.

Like- yeah Debra, my music taste does match my clothes, wow Debra, that's such an amazing discovery Debra, that's oh so funny Debra, guess who I don't feel comfortable sharing my music with anymore DEBRA.

[murdockparker]

Paralyzed

Steve Harrington x Reader

Summary: She walked in on a Friday afternoon. Steve needed nothing more than to get to know her--if only he could find it in himself to speak to her.

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: just pure fluff, mentions of murder (but not frfr)

A/N: no this isn't based on a big time rush song you're crazy anyway!! I think this is my first real Steve fic? The first real one I got around to posting I guess. Cheers!

__

It was a Friday afternoon.

Correction, it was a terribly busy Friday afternoon. Family Video was seemingly the place to be, people swarming the building in hopes of renting new releases for their perspective weekends. Steve usually loathed his Friday shifts for this exact reason, countless questions about the new tapes, a dozen or so mothers berating him when a certain movie is out of stock—as if Steve Harrington himself is the reason behind the madness.

But, this afternoon was different. 

This afternoon she walked in. 

He had enough of the madness, leaving Robin all alone to deal with the wolves for a mere five minutes—he needed to get out of there. With his head in his hands, he sat on an unopened box filled to the brim with different assortments of candy—candy he needed to stock sometime today, a fact he surely couldn’t have forgotten even if he tried. Only two minutes into his escape, Robin came bounding in the backroom, a wild look grazing her eyes.

“Steve,” she nearly panted. “You gotta take over for a minute. This woman is just—ugh—not taking no for an answer! I told her we don’t have The Breakfast Club in stock, but oh no, why trust the employee who rented all ten copies earlier today? Huh? How about we give the girl who makes a little over three bucks an hour a hard fucking time!” Robin was rambling at this point, the words falling deaf on Steve’s ears.

“Robs,” Steve groaned, finally looking up at his friend. “Give me another minute, I have a nasty headache—”

“Me too, Harrington,” Robin sighed, plopping down on the box next to him. “Her name’s probably Debra and she’s a beast in fake leopard print.”

Steve snorted with laughter. “Fine, I’ll head back out there,” he stood up, dramatically dusting off his jeans. “I just don’t know why the hell our help wanted sign hasn’t brought in more folks, we’re dying out here.”

“No one wants to work for Keith,” Robin said simply.

“Damn straight,” Steve pointed, pushing his way back onto the sales floor. The leopard printed demon was nowhere to be seen, much to Steve’s utter relief—he didn’t have the energy to fight her off anyway. Finding his way behind the counter, the doorbell rang out, a pavlovian response nearly spilled from Steve’s lips. “Welcome to Family Vid—”

His heart stopped.

She was gorgeous, like she just stepped out of a magazine ad—the one’s his mom bought, not the trashy shit they sell down at the gas station. Sunglasses adorned her temple like a crown, her hair perfectly falling around the pink lenses. Steve didn’t know what to say, it felt as if he simultaneously forgot all the words in the English language and stuffed seventeen Saltines in his mouth—he was tongue tied.

“Uh, hi,” the girl said softly, waving towards the frozen spectacle behind the counter. “I saw you have a help wanted sign outside?”

Steve could only nod, making a good effort to keep his jaw from falling on the floor. 

“Well,” she smiled, the kind that would make babies giggle at the sight, “I just moved here and sorta need a job so…” A resume was placed on the counter before him. It looked professional—way more than what Family Video could ever hope to ask for from an applicant, anyway. Steve couldn’t stop reading it. She was literally an angel, an answer to his very prayers—every one of them. If he had the power to hire her on the spot, he’d be tossing her a green vest from the back without a second thought. Part of him was cursing the fact Keith wasn’t here to interview her this very second, he needed to get to know this girl. 

“I-I…” Steve tried to speak, feeling his cheeks grow inflamed with embarrassment. He wasn’t used to being so… foolish around a girl.

“Steve, is it?” 

She knew his name. 

Of course he knew she read it off his name tag, he wasn’t that thick, but hearing it come straight from her lips? He could have melted directly into the floor and no one could have stopped him. 

“Yeah, this doofus here’s Steve, I’m Robin,” Robin appeared by his side, seemingly in the knick of time. “Don’t worry about him, we’re getting him the help he needs.”

The mystery girl giggled. “Ah, I see.”

“You want to apply here?” Robin asked, prying the resume from Steve’s—reluctant—hands. “Oh thank God, we’re dying for more bodies around here.”

“I love movies,” she explained quickly, noting how intently Robin was reading over her simple paper. “A-and I used to work at a movie theater back home before moving here, so I know a lot about the recent releases—”

“I’m gonna be honest,” Robin said, leaning onto the counter, voice dripping with secrecy. “You’re probably too good for this place, I mean, way too good for this shit-hole—”

“I need a job,” she repeated, almost desperately. “My folks forced me to move here and I’m trying to save up to get my own place back in Chicago, I’m not built for this small-town bullshit.”

This made Robin explode with laughter and Steve shrivel in despair. She had an expiration date—a way out of Hawkins.

“Well, I’ll make sure to pass this off to our manager—with a glowing recommendation, of course,” Robin winked.

“I appreciate it!” She smiled again, the sight nearly had Steve wishing he had his own pair of sunglasses to wear—it was blinding. “Well, I hope to see you guys around?”

“We’ll be here!” Robin called out, watching the girl walk back towards the door and out towards her car. A hand smacked across Steve’s bicep. 

“Hey!” He finally responded, rubbing the aforementioned spot. “What the hell?”

“I should bring that whiteboard out of retirement,” Robin arched her brow. “You’re positively hopeless, Steve Harrington. What the fuck was that all about?” 

“I don’t know, Robs,” Steve sighed. “She was just—I didn’t even know what to say!”

“Clearly,” she snorted. “You looked like a gaping trout—”

“I did not—”

“This was worse than the girl who asked for a Mint-Choco Deluxe and you handed her a straight scoop of ice cream—no cone. I had to practically chase her out with a stack of napkins and a thousand apologies.”

Steve cringed at the memory. “Maybe…”

“When Keith hires her—and you know he’s gonna—you better get your act together. I don’t wanna deal with…this every day.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve waved. “Sure.”

And deal with it, she did. 

(Y/N) was her name, Steve had the pleasure of unpacking her new name tag for her first day. He almost wanted to keep it, but figured it would make him look like a crazed lunatic. Patiently, he waited by the front door, hoping to see her pull up in her car, ready and rearing for her first day on the job. Steve begged Robin to allow him the pleasure of training her, given he could somehow speak in her presence, of course. She simply rolled her eyes and agreed to the shift exchange. 

A shiny, cherry-red BMW peeled into the lot—Steve noted it looked awfully familiar to his own car, minus the color of course. It seemed a bit out of place in a small town like Hawkins, but the car had suited her just fine. Everything about her suited her kindly, Steve had noticed, especially the clothing she wore. Family Video was no place for a fashion show, Steve could attest to that himself, but with the way she was practically strutting towards the doors? The parking lot was her runway and he was begging to see more. 

“Good morning!” (Y/N) greeted cheerfully, pushing the glass door open wide.

“Morning,” Steve managed to squeak out. He pushed the unflattering green vest towards her. “Your uniform.” She easily slipped the fabric over her own shirt, the stark whiteness of her blouse really made the green pop.

“Well?” She spun around, twirling like a princess. “Do I look the part?”

Steve could only nod. 

“So what’s the first thing on the agenda? Do y’all have a time clock?”

Steve nodded again, pointing his thumb towards the break room.

“Ok..ay…” She said quietly, walking in the direction she was given.

He could cry—it was so pathetic. The way this girl had him so worked up? How was he expected to train her? No, forget training her, how was he supposed to even talk to her? Steve had been in pickles before, but this one took the cake.

“So you just… don’t speak then?”

She had managed to sneak up behind Steve, who had clearly been deep in thought. Her angelic voice alone made him jump. 

“I-I speak,” Steve explained. “I just… have a lot on my plate currently, s’all.”

“I’m sure working at the Family Video is real hard work, superstar,” she giggled, jumping up onto the countertop. “But I’m glad I don’t have to understand your training through charades."

“I’m pretty good at charades,” Steve said, crossing his arms. “O-or so I’m told…”

“I’ll take your word for it,” she smiled. “But seriously, I really thought you just didn’t want to talk to me or something.”

That couldn’t have been farther from the truth. 

“So… I should probably show you the computer system for rentals,” Steve tried changing the subject—poorly, but she graciously turned her attention to the computer she so-conveniently sat next to. “Y’know, because that’s like, the entire job.”

The girl leaned in, not daring to remove herself from the counter top, trying to see what Steve was clicking on. 

“You seem tense,” she noticed. 

“It takes me a while to get warmed up to new people,” he lied. 

“What? Like a cat?”

“…exactly like a cat.”

“Well, Steve,” she hopped off the counter, “it’s a good thing I like cats.”

He tried his best to hide the redness flooding his cheeks.

She made Family Video more enjoyable, even after her first shift, Steve thought. He already liked the job enough, spending time with his best friend and getting paid for it was already a huge perk, but now that he got to know her? He might just keep this job forever.

Forever lasted only four months. 

“Steve!”

He peeked his head over the horror aisle, finding (Y/N) staring at him expectantly from the front counter. 

“Yes?”

“I’m dying over here,” she said dramatically, falling over on the countertop. “It’s so… boring.”

“It’s a Monday morning,” Steve said simply, commanding every fiber in his being to not shrug at the statement. “Mondays are usually boring around here.”

“Everything about Hawkins is boring,” she said, not lifting her face up from the counter. “How do you manage living in this God-forsaken town?”

“I don’t think everything is boring,” Steve scoffed, ignoring the rest of the tapes that needed to be put away. His feet were already leading him towards the counter, as if they had a mind of their own. “I mean, I doubt you’ve run through everything this town's got to offer?”

She lifted her head up from the counter, a red mark gracing her forehead. “In the last four months of living here? I think I have. Hell, the one cool place y’all could have had burned to the ground.”

Steve winced at the mention of StarCourt, the wounds still fresh. “It wasn’t that cool…”

“Fine,” (Y/N) propped herself up, head in her hands, “name one cool place in Hawkins.”

“Skull Rock.”

He doesn’t know why he said it.

“Skull Rock?”

“Uh, yeah,” Steve sheepishly said, hand finding the back of his neck quickly. “It’s the go-to for the coolest kids in Hawkins—made popular by yours truly.”

“And what exactly is Skull Rock?” Her arms were neatly crossed by the time he managed to look back at her. 

A make-out spot.

“A-an… experience?” Steve squeaked, trying his best to sound cool. “It’s hard to explain, you just kinda gotta go and see for yourself.”

“Huh,” she tutted. “Why haven’t I heard of this Skull Rock until now? Certainly if it was as neat as you say it is I would’ve heard about it by now.”

“It’s underground,” Steve tried to convince her. “Not physically, I mean. It's above ground, I promise. Underground in the sense that only the cool kids know about it.”

She snorted. “Cool kids?”

“Y-yeah,” He tried to double down.

“As in, like, high schoolers?”

“Other people besides high schoolers can be cool kids, y’know,” Steve said, trying his best not to cough. 

“Maybe I’ll ask Robin about it when she comes in—”

“I could take you?” Steve is quick to interject. “To Skull Rock, I mean. Tonight, if you’re free.”

A smile crept across her ruby red lips. “Like a date?”

“Pshht, no,” Steve waved. “Like a thing friends do! An activity of sorts.”

“Sounds like a date.”

“An activity,” Steve corrected, feeling queasy at the thought she may actually say yes. 

As if mulling over her options for the evening, (Y/N) stared directly into Steve Harrington’s brown eyes, pinning him to the spot with such a glare. “Hm. Alright.”

“A-alright?”

“Do you think I have to change for this ‘activity’?” (Y/N) motioned her hands up and down her body, giving Steve actual permission to fully look at her. Her outfit was already sensible enough—she was here to work, after all—he didn’t ever see a reason for her to change.

“Maybe different shoes?” Steve offered, looking down at her feet, adorned with ruby red flats to match her lips. 

“What sort of shoes do you recommend? These are my favorite flats.”

“Sneakers. Something you don’t mind getting dirty—”

“I don’t mind getting these dirty.”

“Something more suitable for the forest,” Steve amended. “Sticks, mud, poison ivy. Would hate for the tops of your feet to succumb to that bullshit.”

“Succumb,” (Y/N) repeated. “Big word.”

“Average word,” Steve mumbled, feeling only a tad bit embarrassed.

“Average is fine,” she shrugged. “I have sneakers in my car. We could go after work?”

—

Six o’clock couldn’t have come faster. 

Steve had spent the last few hours of his shift trying to best plan his escape from Family Video—an escape that involved pulling (Y/N) into his car before Robin could tell her what Skull Rock really was. Thankfully, (Y/N) hadn’t had the mind to tell Robin what their plans were after work yet, but he knew it would come.

The minute hand finally ticked to the top of the clock. 6pm on the dot. Steve practically threw off his vest and ran to the wall clock to punch out.

“In a rush?” Robin asked. 

“Something like that,” Steve said, not wanting to share much more. 

“Well, enjoy yourself Rob!” (Y/N) nearly sang, now standing behind Steve waiting for her turn with the wall clock. “I left the counter nice and warm for you!”

“I know you meant that to sound endearing, but it just sounds gross,” Robin laughed, not even looking up from the book she had been reading. “Get out of here before Keith makes you both work overtime.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” (Y/N) said, pushing her pink sunglasses—which were housed in the tiny locker she used every day—onto her head. “Besides, we’ve got plans.”

“We?”

“Gotta go Robin!” Steve could only shout, pushing (Y/N) out of the small room in the back—it could hardly be called a break room. Containing a small T.V on the wall, a stack of lockers, a small fridge, quaint table and a broken microwave.

“Alright, weirdo,” (Y/N) laughed, “we made it outside.”

Steve hand only blinked, but she was right. Somehow he didn’t recall the jaunt from the break room to the front door, much less the fact they made it out to their cars. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” she laughed again, “oh.”

He was sure his face was the near same color as her lipstick—cherry red and probably emitting the heat of a thousand suns. “Are you gonna change your shoes?” Somehow he strung together a full sentence.

“Go start up your car, pretty boy,” (Y/N) said smoothly, “I’ll meet you in a second.”

Pretty boy. 

Start up his car, he did. He fumbled through the few cassette tapes he stored in his glove box, eager to find one she’d like. Though a thought like this had crossed his mind a handful of times, he never thought she’d actually agree to go out with him. No, not go out, this wasn’t a date. Right? 

She had called him pretty boy. 

And he was planning on taking her to the unofficial make out spot of Hawkins. 

Maybe it was a date. 

“There!” (Y/N) exclaimed, sliding into his passenger seat, showing off her worn shoes. “My well-loved sneakers! Just like you requested. How I allowed you to talk me into going to a random forest is beyond me.”

Me too. Steve thought. 

“You’re not going to murder me, right?”

“What!?” Steve had already begun driving to their destination, but her sudden question had him nearly swerving off the road. “No!”

“That’s what a murderer would say.”

“I—why would I…?” Steve was at a loss for words. “If I was going to murder you, don’t you think I’d admit to it at this point?”

“No,” she shrugged, crossing her legs. Her sneakers were red too—her favorite color, perhaps? “I assume you’d admit it right before you kill me, not in transit to the murder location.”

Steve could only laugh. “You confuse me.”

“You love me,” she admonished. 

Maybe he did, and if he didn’t? He certainly could see himself, though, sooner than later. 

It only took another fifteen minutes of driving to reach their destination, parking his beloved BMW in a spot he knew all too well—part of himself cringed that he could admit that, even to just himself. “We’re here.”

“I’m still not convinced you’re not going to murder me,” (Y/N) hummed, hopping out of the car, a spring in her step. 

He couldn’t help but chuckle, popping his trunk to dig for a blanket he knew he had left behind for one reason or another. “Come on,” he ducked his head towards a clearing, “it’s this way.”

“You really have to start explaining the appeal, Harrington,” (Y/N) said, pushing past a rather suspicious looking bush, following closely behind Steve. “This trek is nothing to scoff at.”

“Do you trust me?”

“I thought the murder accusations already confirmed that I did not?”

“Yet you still got into a car with me,” Steve said.

“I still got into a car with you,” she repeated. 

As if on cue, Skull Rock, in all of its glory, peeked through the brush and into view—thankfully with no one else around. 

“We made it!” Steve exclaimed, nearly impressed he remembered how to get here. Quickly unfurling the blanket he grabbed, he sat on the ground. “Come on, I promise it’s clean.”

“Doubting that,” she said, still sitting beside him. “So, spill it, what makes this place so cool?”

Steve took a deep breath. 

“I, uh, may have stretched the truth a bit?”

“How far?”

“Huh?”

“How far did you stretch the truth?”

“Not by much…”

“You’re sweating,” she pointed. 

“No I’m not!” Steve said, trying his very best to not look down at his pits, afraid they were betraying him. Looking back up at the girl sitting beside him, her ruby lips were twisted in a wicked smirk. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Nah,” she said, almost sounding honest. “But I also know pretty well what goes on around this rock—sick as fuck, by the way, it really looks like a skull.”

“You know about Skull Rock?” He was nearly dejected, embarrassed, even.

“I do.”

“And you still came here with me?”

“If it meant I could spend some time with you outside of work? Sure,” she said with her brilliant smile. “Though, don’t expect any swapping of saliva.”

“Then why…?”

Her knees tucked under her chin, arms wrapped fully around them. “I don’t have many friends here. You and Robin kind of are it for me, at least, since I moved here. I figured I should try and spend time with y’all before I move again.”

Her big move. The one she was saving up for. 

“Back to Chicago, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Though, it’s going to be a while until I do actually move. Who knew trying to rent your own apartment in a big city is stupid expensive? Wait—don’t answer that, that’s a stupid fucking observation.”

“It’s a bit silly,” he agreed, trying his best not to laugh. “But, yeah, way more expensive than Hawkins.”

The sun had begun to set, not that they could see it, through the trees and all, but the sky was now a warm orange. The kind of color that reminded Steve of summer, melted creamsicles and sweet memories.

“What’s in Chicago, anyway?” Steve finally asked, eyes glued to the sky. The question had been on the tip of his tongue since he met her. “I mean, I never really hear you talk much about it—only when you feel the need to dig at Hawkins.”

“It’s where I grew up,” she shrugged. “All of my friends are out there, my life is out there.”

“I mean, you did just say Robin and I were your friends?” He offered, leaning back on his hands. 

She narrowed her gaze, pulling her head up from her knees ever-so-slightly. “Most of my friends are out there,” she corrected. “I just… my dad moved out here for work, a job he literally can’t tell us about—my mom is stuck being some bored housewife waiting every night for him to come home, slaving over a home cooked meal, and I’m just his failure of a daughter who works at a video store.”

Steve knows that feeling a bit too well. 

“It doesn’t even have to be Chicago,” she chuckled, mostly to herself. “I just can’t stay here. My forward thinking mind is too big for this town. I figure, maybe in the city I can find myself, figure out what this planet has in store for me, you know?”

“I do.”

“You do?”

“I mean, I never had the thought to leave Hawkins,” Steve said, still looking up at the sky—darker now, but still orange. “Especially now with all of the…”

How does he explain the Upside Down? Does he explain the Upside Down? No. She doesn’t need to know. Not yet, anyway.

“…you know, the missing people,” he finally said, finding the right explanation. “But the idea of going to a big city, finding my way and maybe figuring out what this big head is good for?” His self deprecating laugh echoed from under the large rock formation. “I get it.”

“Y’know,” (Y/N) relaxed her grip on her knees, “my mom had hesitations about moving here because of the missing people—afraid I was going to go missing too.”

“And your dad still moved you here anyway?” Steve still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact people would move here willingly, especially all that’s been in the news about their small town. 

“I told you, big secret job,” she said, as if that was the only answer. “My dad’s answer to the problem was buying my mom a new kitchen set and me a car.”

“The BMW?”

“Hell yeah,” she snorted. “Though I suppose once I get to the city—any of them, I’ve decided—I’ll sell it. No need for a car if you’ve got decent public transit. I wonder how much I can get for it?”

“Probably less than what you’re thinking.”

“You’re probably right.”

The sun had finally set, leaving a hazy, sort of mystical hue over the rock and clearing. 

“You could come with me, you know,” (Y/N) finally spoke up. 

“Huh?”

“Get out of Hawkins? Lord knows I’d need a roommate. Rent is gonna be insane regardless.”

He pondered the thought. Moving out of this God-forsaken town with practically the girl of his dreams? It sounded too good to be true. “Huh.”

“You obviously don’t have to answer right now,” she said, nearly flustered. Was she flustered? “It was just a dumb thought…”

“It’s not dumb,” he said steadily, truthfully. “Not dumb at all.”

“What? You’re actually considering it?”

“Don’t ask me things if you’re not serious about them,” Steve joked, pointing at her. “I mean, it sounds pretty perfect. Leaving Hawkins, making a way for myself, trying to not rely on my parents… I dunno. Something to think about.”

She only nodded.

“Of course, I can’t leave yet,” Steve corrected, mostly to himself. “I have… unfinished business.”

“Ominous,” she snorted. 

“A man has his secrets,” he smirked, turning to look at her. “Not murder-y secrets, I really can’t stress that one enough.”

“Handsome, funny and mysterious, the full package,” she hummed.

“You think I’m handsome?”

“I don’t want to stroke your ego,” (Y/N) said. “Surely you know you’re handsome.”

“I didn’t know you thought I was handsome.”

“I think everyone thinks you’re handsome,” her eyebrow raised. “Especially all those girls who come in to rent movies I know for a fact they have no interest in. Robin says you had a similar effect back at the ice cream place.”

“You’ve talked to Robin about my handsomeness?”

“I’ve talked to Robin about your obliviousness,” she corrected, “I think there’s a difference.”

He felt like his brain was melting. If he had a mirror, he’d check his ears to make sure no pink matter was dripping out. “But you think I’m handsome?” If the lighting hadn’t been as low as it was, he’d probably be able to see just how dark her cheeks had become.

“Irrelevant.”

He found the courage to scoot a little closer to her. “I mean, I think it’s pretty relevant… considering I think you’re pretty handsome too.”

Her head couldn’t have turned faster.

“Beautiful! I meant beautiful! Not that you can’t be handsome,” Steve felt himself choking on his own foot, falling deeper into a hole he knew he couldn’t get out of. “If you’d rather be called handsome, that’s fine by me, but traditionally, you’re stunning—so so pretty and I—”

“Steve—”

“A-and I’m messing this up,” Steve deflates. The crickets around Skull Rock must have been paid actors at this point. Steve made a mental note to bring a can of Raid the next time he came here—revenge of some sorts. “I can’t believe I’m messing this up.”

Something slightly wet touched his cheek.

“I don’t think you’re messing anything up,” (Y/N) said, pulling away from his face. She kissed his cheek. “I think you’re a little silly and overthinking a lot, though.”

“You kissed me?”

“I kissed your cheek, no need to short-circuit,” she smiled softly. “I figured it was a good way to bring you back down to Earth. Did it work?”

He nodded, a bit too fast for his liking. “Uh, yeah. I think so.”

“Good,” she said, so sure of herself. “You were really spiraling there for a moment.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I was.”

More crickets. 

“Would you have kissed Robin on the cheek? If she was spiraling like that?”

“No,” she said honestly. “Just you.”

“Oh.”

“You took me to the make-out spot of Hawkins,” (Y/N) gestured to the rock above them. “Did you expect me to not kiss you?”

“You kissed my cheek,” he clarified, feeling bolder. “I don’t think that counts.”

“Hm,” she tapped her chin in faux-thought. “It probably doesn’t.”

“I could let you try again?”

“Oh you’d let me?” She crossed her arms, voice airy, light.

“Or I could kiss you,” he shrugged. “Dealers choice.”

“Oh what endless options I have,” she laughed, getting up from the blanket. It was only a little scratchy. “Come on, pretty boy, it’s getting late. My mom is probably worried sick I haven’t made it home yet. Probably waiting by the front window with some terrible dinner in the oven, I assume.”

She offered her hand, helping Steve up off the ground. “You’re probably right.”

“This was nice,” she said, walking back to the car. “Thanks for taking me out here, Steve. I finally found the one good thing in Hawkins.”

“Skull Rock is just that impressive, huh?” Steve laughed, his smile reaching his eyes.

“Something like that,” her smile was just as big. 

--

BONUS: “Pop your trunk, I’ll put this nasty blanket away,” (Y/N) said, circling to the back of Steve’s car.

“It’s not that nasty,” he snorted, fulfilling her request. Climbing into his car and starting up the engine, he waited for her to throw the scrap of fabric in the back. In the corner of his eye, he could see her through the mirror, staring intently at the contents of his trunk. “How long does it take to put a blanket away?” He sighed, hopping back out of the car to join her, realizing quickly why she was just staring in his trunk. 

“Y’know,” she clicked, “this doesn’t really help the whole ‘I’m not gonna murder you’ thing.”

In her hands was his tried and true baseball bat—still outfitted with spiky nails and the very essence of dried blood. 

“I-I can explain—”

“You probably can,” she said, throwing the bat back into the trunk, slamming it shut. “How about over dinner sometime?”

He’d be stupid to say no.

[thisismeracing]

HI! 🤍

Mick + (loving) Fan + fluff

I know you said just one Word but i was thinking about how would be if Mick Falls in love with a Fan 🥺

Fan | MS47

⸺ the one where it's her birthday and besides the paddock passes, she got a date. ✓ mentions of throwing up and anxiety, but nothing graphic or major.

⁕ one word, a thousand stories blurb night (closed) ⁕ my masterlist and my taglist

When Yn's best friend told her their friends came together to get her a birthday gift she had been waiting for her whole life, she did NOT expect it to be paddock passes. Vip and all.

It took her the whole trip to Austin; she was still in awe even then. Still trying to gather how loved she was, even though a little nagging voice would try to tell her otherwise. Her friends knew she loved Formula 1, knew she wanted to go to a race for a long time, and knew how this would be the best birthday she ever had.

That's how Yn found herself wrapped in her favorite coat, wearing her favorite pair of jeans and beat-up Converse, trying to keep her body from jumping excitedly like a little kid who's about to meet their famous Disney character.

In reality, she was just a young adult about to meet her favorite driver if the circumstances helped her.

"Tell everyone how you're feeling, Yn!" her friend, Debra, who volunteered to come to Texas with her, was recording everything to their friend group chat.

"I'm actually feeling sick, I- what if I throw up on Lewis' shoes??? Omg- and what if-" Her mind started to go places and Debra chuckled with the camera in her hands, holding Yn's shoulders with her free one.

"Yn, calm down! It's gonna be alright, you'll see," Debra reassured.

And off they went. They were able to meet Russell and Carmen who was a sweetheart with the pair of friends, they thought it was cute how nervous Yn was, so nervous she called George by Carmen and started rambling about how much she loved Mundt's Instagram account. Then it came Charles Leclerc and even Debra was a bit thrown off by how handsome and friendly he was. They met a bunch of other drivers and members of their crews, everyone but Yn's favorite duo: Lewis and Mick.

Luckily for her, Debra was on a mission, and she practically dragged Yn to the Mercedes garage before it was impossible to get a glimpse of anything. And as it happens, it only took twenty minutes after Lewis was spotted for the small garage to start gathering some people in its front. He was extremely attentive, wished Yn happy birthday, and went as far as to tell her he would try and get her a birthday podium to which she almost burst into happiness.

"Are you ok?" Debra asked right after the exchange with the eight-time world champion.

Yn nodded, but her friend saw the way her chest puffed in a deep breath, "I'm just- a bit anxious... too many people around now," Yn explained, pointing behind her back, "I'm gonna run to the bathroom real quick, wait for me in here. I'll be back in a sec."

Off she went, but instead of running to the restrooms, Yn made a beeline in the direction of the motorhome. Behind it to be more precise. Where no one was around, and all the noise seemed to lessen a bit.

She sat on the ground, back propped against the wall of the motorhome. The hum helped to calm her nerves. Yn took off her shoes, feeling the cold ground under her feet, and taking small breaths.

"This is real. It's really real, and I deserve this nice reality," she whispered to herself, thinking back about how lucky she was in that sea of fans.

"Huh- hi?"

"Ok, now that's not real, total creation of your anxious mind," she mumbled to herself, staring up and down the blond guy in front of her.

Mick snickered.

"What's with the shoes?" he asked, and Yn moved her hands to the ground now.

"I'm just trying to ground myself, to make my body believe what's happening is real. My fingers are pretty cold now, but for some reason, I still can't wrap my head around this minute right here.' She ranted nervously, and Mick removed his signature black Puma shoes, sitting right beside her.

He carefully bumped their shoulders, "It does feel nice, I have to give you that."

Yn nods, bracing her knees in front of her body and staring ahead.

"Were you anxious?"

"A bit. I don't know why, I'm usually good with too many people." She explains.

"I get exactly what you're saying."

"Is this really happening or am I hallucinating? Can you pinch me?"

Mick chuckled and pinched Yn's arm.

"Do things like this usually happen with VIP people?" Yn asks after a beat. She wanted to question Mick about a bunch of things outside racing, she wanted to know his favorite color for real, his favorite food, and something he liked to cook, and if he collected something from his travels, she wanted to hear something random about him that people probably did not bother to ask or didn't care enough to pay attention to, yet that was all she could manage: is it common? those interactions?

And his answer surprised her. Not only his spoken words but his roaming curious eyes, "nah, the passes usually just grant you a picture and a quick 'how are you' if you're lucky."

"What am I then? Since we're exchanging more than the small talk.."

Mick's pink lips curled in a smile, "I can think of a few things I wanted you to be." He glances down at her, eyes scanning her face, before adding, "My date to watch today's race, for example."

There was silence for a beat and then Yn's booming laughter embraced them, "Ain't no way Mick Schumacher is flirting with me. I really must be hallucinating. Oh- what if I threw up on Lewis shoes and passed out and now I'm dreaming to make myself feel better while Debra tries to wake me up?"

It was Schumacher's turn to laugh.

"You have a beautiful laugh," she pointed.

"You too," the blonde shot back.

This time when their eyes met neither of them tried to shy away, instead their lips curled in a smile. Something passed between that stare, and Mick and Yn knew with certainty that was the start of something new and beautiful.

― ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: HI, I AM BACK, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT <3 Make sure to reblog and leave me a comment, love y'all *mwah*

[wavernot4love]

i do believe it is time for another vaguely infamous wavernot4love show recap ...... idkhow impending gloom rochester, 11.16.24 edition (tour spoilers after the break thingy)!!!! one of my favorite visitations i've ever experienced methinks ..... finally gettin the chance to ramble 2 dallon after years ...... and successfully getting rid of most of my bracelets ..... oh my!!!! oh boy, this one is going to be lengthy because SO MUCH fun stuff happened, man. right then (note that i went in mostly blind this time which was certainly An Experience):

also!!!! in general!!!! as i mentioned up there visitation was easily a top 3... top 2???? visitation i have ever experienced (i told dallon this exact thing.... more on that later).

i'd hoped she'd play hot to go 😍

(but unironically, transition back into visitation goes crazy) ((i feel like the absolute lack of any form of Cinematography whatsoever in this goes to show how i was feeling here)

let me tell you, the MOMENT the oh my lord lord lords started i just had this Feeling it was gonna be one of those visitations (i recall turning 2 my cousin and this sentiment being echoed). and that it was ,,,,, the ol Split sure did happen directly next to us so we got 2 chill there goin yeedy yeedy heedy heedy with dallon and his megaphone. i could recite the entire visitation yodel segment in my sleep methinks. very fun stuff. peep me lookin 4 videos from the other side of the split on instagram ,,, also gotta say dallon's "ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between" will always make me giggle and kick my feet a bit (in a /j way). it's like the mormon tabernacle choir bit (which didn't happen this time, i honestly think this was the first non fest show i've seen where they didn't do a letter. not complaining as uhhh.... absence can in fact make the heart grow fonder n i know she'll be back someday)

is now the time to share that i only know the words to hot to go due to 1. this and 2. terrible influence toronto. the titronto singalong as i've seen it be called. i am about the same level of an up to date main pop girlie (gender neutral) as your grandpa. but i am glad 2 be adopted into the singalong by true main pop girlies (dan phil and dallon)

with that being said... SIXFT went too hard last night!!!! as always. but dallon's lil speech about us all focusing on the moment now because someday we'll all be six feet deep that went right into the tune..... oh yes what an intro.

i feel like earlier on, things REALLY started picking up/the crowd and everyone got into the swing of things with gloomtown brats. i always kinda take note of when everyone seems 2 loosen up near the beginning of a set and Yup . this one was it last night. blondie rapture-esque 80s rap bit you will always be so beloved. i remember when you were just a figment of dallon's imagination he talked about potentially wanting to do someday on twitter ,,,,

we finally got satanic panic oh yes. the minute dallon started talking about growing up in the 80s oh i knew where This was going. this is makin me wish i could post more than one video in here.

also speaking of, hearing kiss & tell live made me like her SO much more oh my. dallon crushes it in the chorus, something about it is very earwormy to me gotta say.

also..... ABSINTHE CAME BACK FROM THE GRAVE!!! mad iqs as well but i think absinthe had been... absent for longer. i will always think of the time i was goin nuts during her at this radio fest in 2019 and my phone sailed straight out of my pocket and across the crowd.

i fear i will Always enjoy dallon telling us under 25s to cover our ears and eyes for Adult Themes before what love. as someone who recalls when he did something of the sort for the debra cover circa 2019 i am glad i still fit into the age bracket 2 be patronized here.

opening band was gr8 as always, my favorite bit being the.... extended .... you may just like the.... segment. the parents, and especially boyfriends, sure did get shouted (called?) out. dallon (about said boyfriends getting dragged along): ....but you still gave us money! [crowd laughter] (back to singing) and that's what gives me.... a purpose ......

choke also hit extra last night. song goes HARD, i was desensitized for a while way back when it was constantly getting play on alt radio, but man, she is Not overrated,,,, appropriately rated, i think

no extra ending brobecks song but i am Not complaining. gr8 set, and hopefully someday bike ride will come back 2 me ......

also, i should mention that i Really enjoyed brasko's set. not inherently my kinda music per se, but the energy was off the charts. the dude had character, which i respected. get there early if you're going 2 any of these shows. also, opening band w/ alexsucks dude was sweet. the way i also have the "headlining band" segment memorized from the superet days ..... much like other Live Idkhow ™️ moments like the "i died in 1917" bit of visitation (which actually caught me off guard last night when it was changed to "i died in rochester new york" ...... damn poor visitation character. /hj) or the OH WHA OH OH OH in the second verse of clusterhug.

anyways, on to the post show Events .....

so long story short all the folks i knew @ the show wanted 2 leave (hence why i drove separate,, mwahaha), so the gang split up and i headed 2 the side of the building with the bus, where there were lots of people hanging around, and pretty much curled up borderline in the fetal position against the wall where i sat for a solid 45 minutes (it was cold and in the moment i did not quite have the energy 2 wander around starting conversations to trade etc)

due to said Cold, i pretty much set a time of 12:15 for when i'd leave if nothing had happened yet.... a couple times i contemplated going since i was straight up shivering but Something made me stay and man am i so glad i did!!!!

i remember watching that clock tick qusstioning how much longer i could go, and then right about 12:15 (maybe a minute or two after), a crew member came out and told us dallon was coming out to meet us, he was just on vocal rest but could sign/take pics etc!

so naturally wavernot4love was Back in business and i jumped 2 my feet and instantly was energized enough to chat some folks up and get rid of a good chunk of my bracelets (!)

sadly i somehow didn't think 2 bring a cd or anything so i had Nothing to get signed (oh my) but man, that didn't matter. i was just so stoked to finally meet dallon after years of going 2 shows/trying to!

anyways, homie came out and when he got to me he like. waved dbdbdh our whole "conversation" was quite funny considering the ways dallon improvised to get around not being able to talk.

i was basically like "hello! i know you can't talk so i am just.... gonna ramble 2 you for a minute!"

and that i sure did. essentially i went on a quick minuteish long recap of the Lore ,,,,

i remember i started by just saying how much the shows/music have meant to me over the years, and dallon did a thank you in sign language to me (like, the motion with your palm facing your chin that kinda looks like a backwardsish wave) which he did probably a dozen times later (it was really sweet honestly) and bringing up that this was my ninth time seeing them which made one of the ppl i was trading w exclaim like, "wow!" or something along those lines (hghfhfh i got vaguely embarrassed then, the way whenever i am meeting band folks i just completely go in our lil Bubble internally and forget other folks are. Right There), and dallon like. put his hand by his heart and then put his hand out like, wanting me to shake it and i think he seemed like he wanted me to introduce myself so i quickly said ya know that i am nat or natalie whatever you want 2 call me,,,, while we were shaking idk dawg it was goofy.

anyways, i babbled about how i'd been a fan of idkhow/the brobecks' music forever, and that i first saw them like, down the street basically at a venue called anthology on the waterparks tour way back and since had seen them all over rochester, syracuse, and buffalo, and how i was so glad they/he keeps coming back and how nice it's been to not have to travel outside of the area for any of my shows!!! i just went on about how much i love the shows and how much i especially loved visitation, and he kept doing the thank you thing (he did that about as much as i called him "dude," something i tend to do in Band Folk conversation when i'm meeting someone for the first time and am vaguely nervous (god it's like my literal embodiment of the "sorry i say shawty when i'm nervous" meme).

when he could tell my story was pretty much. you know. ending he made like. a lil camera taking a picture motion with his hands with like. a question mark in there somehow fbfbfh which was really convenient actually because i always feel awkward asking. anyways, i was like hell yeah let's go and then i did my goofy thing i always do for pictures where i remember i don't like how my glasses glare or whatever for pics so i panic and am like "actually wait!" while i randomly chuck them someplace out of the picture for the moment. i may have mildly scared dallon here i'll be honest. but also kinda amused him who knows, we all have our quirks

anyways, we took a few pics and i basically said great show man thanks and see you at the next show! and he i think waved or something along those lines and we went our separate ways!!

i did make a lil post right after this happened last night here but here's the pic again!!! hooray!!!!

i do think it is safe to say i finally broke the wavernot4love x water street music hall curse (the other three shows i'd been to there, not idkhow, were not really the greatest experiences). it is lookin good 4 the future!!!!

anyways, GREAT great show as always and man i'm so glad me and dallon could finally meet!!!!

[never-not-ever]

Therapy went really good. “I’m gonna slow you down there”. Something she says often cause I can go off rambling. She said that she doesn’t want to miss anything and just wants to make sure she understands and if it ever bothered me to let her know. On the contrary I really appreciate it and it shows she cares.

We talked about current “struggles” now that SI is off the table. Almost like it’s something else for me to focus on. Something to control. She mentioned and talked about “over controlling” and it made so much sense. She also asked if I ever heard of RODBT and how it’s a little different than regular DBT. I remember my old group therapist was getting trained in that. It may be something we talk more about. But honestly right now we’re sort of just testing the waters, keeping things less rigid for now.

Ironically the “over controlling” popped up at the end when I started packing up and she made note and laughed. And I said “I don’t know if I ever told you but I hate hearing ‘okay times up/we gotta wrap up for today’ it’s like I always fear taking up too much time and space”. And she noted how that’s another thing for me to control, how much distress I feel.

I told her how I have my intake appointment tomorrow for MBT but that I like everyone on my PACT team, that I want to keep working with everyone but I don’t want it to look like I’m trying to have a thousand therapists and providers and she sarcastically (which I loved) said “oh no Debra’s trying to take up all the resources”. I like that she’s sarcastic. It helps.

I was doing a bit of journaling and it makes sense that I’m putting all my time and effort into something else. I’m worried about spring. Death and suicide attempt anniversaries and also just reminders of last year “at this time”. I know spring is going to be hard. I was trying to “just get through the holidays” and push off any HLOC til January but now I’m just trying to keep pushing. Like focus on other things for now.

[cowboymenace]

Speculating About Ric Flair

Now I doubt that Ric Flair or his people will find this write up but I'm gonna be using the word allegedly a lot because I will be speculating about what Ric Flair is really doing in AEW.

On October 25th, 2023 Ric Flair would be revealed as Tony Khan's gift to Sting as a part of Sting Retirement Story. Sting and Flair are one of the most iconic rivalries in Wrestling History, the two even wrestled on the very last Nitro. This should have been met with rejoicing, right? No. Many online fans voiced their displeasure with the signing of Flair citing the sexual assault that occurred on the infamous plane ride from hell. This incident became much more well known due to the Darkside of the Ring series covering the whole ordeal. There's also Teddy Long going on the record stating that Flair had said heinous slurs to him and has yet to apologize

What's even worse in my opinion is Tony Khan dunking on Vince McMahon's alleged history of sexual misconduct, and yet still bringing in Flair anyways. It makes it apparent that Tony does not care about the victims, and was scoring a cheap dig against his competitor.

Another layer to this, is the promotion of Flair's brand of energy drink. I will not be mentioning its name nor its image since that would be indirectly promoting it as well. Each week now, there's a portion of the entrance stage dedicated to promoting the drink. The commentary desk has three cans of different flavors on display. It feels so bleak and dare I say carny. This is a major strike against Tony Khan's credibility about a promoter.

On the November 29th episode of Dynamite, Ric Flair would cut a promo backstage. The promo went on and on, you just can't help but to feel some iota of sadness watching this shell of a man trying to recapture faded glory. Watch for yourself if you wish, just be warned it's bleak.

The reaction was brutal. So much so that now Flair is threatening to leave. Fellow veterans like Chris Jericho (who punched a female fan in 2008) and Stone Cold Steve Austin (who beat Debra, something he pleaded no contest to) voiced their support. Something something birds of a feather.

On Jericho's end, this is insane. He narrated each episode of Darkside of the Ring. He read out loud what Flair did. This makes him incredibly scummy, but I digress. Back to Flair

Flair has also stated that younger talents have not approached him for advice. This is adding to the criticism of the AEW lockerroom being full of young guys who do not take older veterans' advice, but Taz has dispelled that.

If anything, this tells us that no one wishes to interact with Flair. Why should they? They know about his history and how he seems to not have atone for it. Why is this man getting a paycheck in a company that is trying its hardest to remove toxicity from the lockerroom? I do not blame those avoiding him like the plague.

So this seems like a misreading of the room by Tony Khan, and a huge waste of time for Ric right? But what if this was the goal?

In 2009 Ric Flair was brought into ROH as an authority figure. Flair had just finished his retirement run in the WWE and was moving on. However, Flair would No-Show after being paid

Flair was paid 35K for the position and was going to get 10K per appearance. He took the money and left. ROH then responded by announcing a lawsuit.

Recently Ric Flair was on an episode of Kill Tony, a comedy show where a panel of veteran comedians and celebrities would judge one minute sets by amateurs. His appearance was odd. He was slurring his words and would not engage with the show. He would ramble on about donating time and he then went on to leave in the middle of the show. It was bizarre, could it have been he was not anticipating how mean the show is to participants. Or did he figure he got paid anyway and just dip? Now I am merely speculating, I am not sure if Tony paid him or this was a favor. I can imagine anything with Flair requires payments but again I'm just speculating.

Now this brings us to Flair in AEW. Is Flair looking for an exit after getting some money out of Tony Khan, who happily gave it to him? This is what I believe is Flair's current move. He has a history of not fulfilling his commitments, and he may just be doing it again, allegedly, parody, in minecraft. Satire.

If Flair does leave I hope that this is a lesson to Tony never meet your heroes, they may try to rip you off (Allegeldy!!!!)

[justagalwhowrites]

Hello, me again bestie.

This ask is a little different than my usual though.

I will be spending several hours on a plane tomorrow. This is where I wish I had some self-control and didn't read everything the minute it's posted. I will definitely be finishing Beskar Doll. I'm soooo sorry it's taken me forever. Don't get me wrong I love Din but he definitely takes a back seat to Joel.

Anyways, back to the point of my ask before I started rambling. By the time I board tomorrow I will have finished all of my ARC reads and my TBR is way too overwhelming to even know where to begin. So I'm wondering if you have any book recs? If you have any fic recs that are long enough to keep me occupied most of the trip I will take those too.

I hope you have a great day!

Hi Bestie!

Omg please do not apologize for not finishing one of my fics lol I’m just thrilled you read them at all!! I hope you love it!!

As for book recs, I’ve been really into Taylor Jenkins-Reid this year. I read Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in a day and Daisy Jones and the Six in two, I just couldn’t put them down! I’m also a sucker for anything by Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects in particular. I read Corinne by Rebecca Morrow in like a day, too. Also really good, about a woman finding herself as she leaves a borderline cult religious group.

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk is another favorite. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere (also Neil Gaiman), Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Loathe as I am to suggest Rowling to anybody but the first few books of her Cormoran Strike series (under the pen name Robert Galbraith) are great if you can get a ✨free✨ download to not spend any money because fuck that woman (I haven’t read the last few because fuck that woman and also apparently no one reels her in during editing anymore and the recent ones reportedly sucked.) If you are/were a Twilight girlie, Stephenie Meyer’s The Chemist (it’s a thriller for adults) is somewhat addictive!

For non-fiction, the Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama was a fascinating read, especially in the context of a post-insurrection world. Anything by Jon Krakauer - Missoula in particular but I also did a huge paper for a capstone project in college on SA so grain of salt and all the trigger warnings. I also go through phases of being really into random historical things and I read a fascinating book on Chernobyl a few years ago that I think about often (Chernobyl by Serhii Plokhy). Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich made me want to become a journalist and I adored Waiting: True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg. Candy Girl by Diablo Cody was also great.

Sorry, I know that’s a lot!!! I hope some sound interesting and that you have a fabulous trip, bestie!!! Love you!

[psalm22-6]

A remake of Victor Hugo's immortal classic about the relentless pursuit of a man by the law, this latest film version of "Les Miserables" has some moments of high excitement and suspense, but, on the whole, it falls short of being the solid, marketable product needed for today's fickle boxoffices. 

The Fred Kohlmar production has all the appearances of a great motion picture, for it boasts a superb cast, authentic settings and some astute direction, but its weakness lies in Richard Murphy's screenplay which has failed to capture the tragic overtones and stark drama of Hugo's original story.  After the early scenes, which are hard hitting, forceful sequences, the film lapses into a plethora of talk and emotional ramblings from which it never wholly emerges. The result of this is a film that will probably do its best business in art houses, or nabes-hoods and first-runs catering to class audiences. It will be a fairly strong attraction for action houses, too, but family spots will find it difficult to sell. 

Director Lewis Milestone has guided his players with many adept touches, but has been unable to maintain the fast pace of opening sequences and has been hindered by the slow-moving screenplay in later scenes. The cast labors under the same difficulties, but some notable performances do emerge as Michael Rennie portrays the hero Jean Valjean in a warm, convincing manner and Robert Newton effectively personifies the law in his role of Javert. The supporting cast headed by Edmund Gwenn, Debra Paget and Cameron Mitchell is effective with no poor performances to be found.

Source: The Film Bulletin, 1952

[veronicaleighauthor]

Fun Facts about “Baby New Year”

This post is really belated – I meant to write it last week but was caught up in revisions on my current WIP. My last published story of 2024 was released on December 28th, just in time for the New Year. Which is apt, because my story was titled “Baby New Year.” If you would like to order a copy of the issue, you can do so here!

I try to do Fun Facts post about the short stories that I write and publish. It’s a sort of behind-the-scenes and little-known facts about the story and the era it was written in – most of my pieces are historicals. So, if you’re interested in my ramblings about my latest story, here we go!

“Baby New Year” is the fifth story in the Lady Sheriff Series. I wrote it some time ago, but it received numerous rejects. I was on the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s message board and I learned of another publication that liked cozy mysteries. I happened to mention I had a cozy and might send it to them, when Barb Goffman invited me to send it to her for BCW. And she accepted it. Special thanks to Barb for her help!

According to Wikipedia, Baby New Year is a personification of the New Year, obviously representing the rebirth of the new year. He became a popular feature in editorial cartoons at the turn of the 20th century. The mythical baby is generally a boy, but these days any baby, boy or girl born at the first of the year, can be a Baby New Year.

Some of this story was inspired by the Hat Box Baby, who was discovered in a hatbox in the middle of the Arizona desert on Christmas Eve in 1931. The story made national news and couples clamored to adopt the baby. She was placed with a couple and had a good life. The mystery around her birth and discovery continued for decades, until 2017, when Sharon (a.k.a. Hat Box Baby) learned who her parents really were. During the Great Depression it wasn’t uncommon for babies to be left on doorsteps of churches, orphanages, or with families when the biological parents couldn’t provide for the baby.

Edith Anice Dalgarn (Great-Grandma Dalgarn) and her daughter, Margaret Asay (my Grandma Asay)

My character, Sheriff Claire Williams, tends to exclaim “Land of Goshen” in times of duress. I had learned this was something my great-grandmother Edith Anice Dalgarn said. I thought it would be perfect for my heroine, who though fictional, is of the same era as my great-grandmother and I did borrow a few things from her life for my character. Edith was also widowed young, however, she had a happy marriage and dearly loved her husband Charles.

In this story, Claire’s mother is introduced: Millicent Roberts. It took me awhile to think of who I imagined her as, and after watching The Gilded Age for the hundredth time, I realize I pictured her as Debra Monk.

This story takes place in January of 1933. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected as the new president the previous year and would be sworn in on March 4, 1933. During his inaugural speech, he declared, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He led the country through the remainder of the Depression and for nearly the entirety of WWII. Americans looked to him for strength and leadership during the dark times that tried their souls.

Until next time!

[pansywinkle]

call me ada 🧠

💌 artist, archivist, admirer

💌 a girl who likes boys ❤️

💌 18+, warnings for all manner of madness and melodrama

💌 Here to contemplate what I find captivating, ramble about kink nonsense, be both overly personal and overly vague, a digital diary of sorts, creating a playground for just me and those morbidly curious.

💌 Ask and I may answer

a sense of what I ship 🧠

Steven/Lapis (Stapis/Lapiven)

Finn/Marceline (Finnceline)

Tomoko/Tomoki (Kurokicest)

Derek/Casey (Dasey)

Asriel/Kris (Krisriel)

Dexter/Debra

Sunny/Mari (Sunshine)

Vi/Jinx (Vijinx)

Violet/Dash

Alice/The Cheshire Cat

Sarah Williams/Jareth

Reagan/Brett

Greg/Roderick (Gregrick)

Amy/Victoria (Guts & Glory)

Louise/Logan

Wednesday/Pugsley

[oki-doki-kayo]

Before I start reuploading all my old art here and all my new stuff im going to ramble.

So I've been reading Jackson's diary because I heard some really good things about it, and it started off kind of fun and goofy with just enough seriousness that it felt right. But as it's been progressing there's been just so much back and forth, which is great in some stories if handled well, but in Jackson's diary it felt sort of fumbled?

The conflict between Jackson and Exer is so back and forth in a way that kind of messes with you. As soon as you start to find some comfort in this new turn in the narrative it gets flipped and now they're at each others throats again. I might change my mind as I keep reading since honestly I don't feel like I'm far enough into the comic to be dubbed a worthy source.

The characters personalities are for the most part reliable when it comes to the secondary characters, but doesn't feel solid in Jackson and Exer (sometimes even in other characters) and it feels like their morals and beliefs get flipped stupidly easy for the sake of the narrative. I feel like the comic lacks some form of communication necessary to make these narrative choices feel necessary or relevant, or even at all relatable, it doesn't feel as if a reader could out themself in these characters shoes with the knowledge of their characters and go "yeah, it makes sense that they flipped out and beat up everyone, I would have too".

I get that these characters are in highschool, but the overall plot gets lost in these subplots and social drama that the characters get out through. It resembles that of a soap opera or telenovela in cohesiveness I guess.

The way the Paola Batalla has approached their comic is probably one of the best ways to make a long lasting SERIES. I've seen comic writers, novelists, manga writers, animators, etc create their big passion projects as if their is no clear end in sight regardless of whether they've planned out the entire projects plot fully, it allows for creative freedom and invests those consuming their work as a media to come and go from their project with freedom, but still enough intrigue to keep them hooked. So Paola's approach isn't a bad thing, I'm just personally struggling with it as a reader who doesn't see where it could be going.

The characters are written beautifully aside from my few earlier gripes. Despite my personal struggle with the series as of right now, I'm really committed to it purely so I can see where characters like Debra, Dave and Pamela go (I can't remember the blue haired Russians name right now, my bad).

The art is very aesthetically pleasing too and works perfectly with the style of story Paola's written. Her illustration team must be amazing since the consistency of it is astounding. I've struggled in the past with comics as you can clearly spot where panels had changed from one illustrator/line artists hands to the other, which is not a problem with Jackson's diary at all.

That's my thoughts at the moment, I'll come back once I've read a bit more and update on what's changed. Now remember that this is my own personal opinion, you don't need to defend a comic to a stranger online who hasn't read the entire thing yet and intends to admit if their opinion changes <3