#don't mess with Erica

[darkphoenix180]

[redheadedbrunette]

Cool so I reread the series and I noticed a lot more than I did the first two times I read it which is fun. The relationship between Ben and Erica is more explored than I remembered which is good and I can definitely see her character arc a lot clearer.

X is still my least favorite book and there’s absolutely a corner that Gibbs wrote himself into on that one unless he’s entirely giving up on the idea of having Ben and co. be secret agents.

Ben’s a lot more of a competent spy than I remember too, which is refreshing.

I also completely forgot that all 10 of these books happen in the span of like a year and a half which is hilarious.

Oh and the age gap seems like something that would be a lot more of an issue if there weren’t only like 300 people in the world they could have contact with. Even Erica and Josh had a bit of a gap since she had to have been 14/15 or so while he was 17/18. A gap of 2.5 years would be problematic for normal kids but I think different rules would apply.

I'm so glad it was clearer on a second go around! Honestly, I didn't even really see it all that clearly until I reread the series a couple years ago (SSAS came out my first week of college) and had a lot more experience with how stories work on a fundamental idea. Erica's development is very much in the background, but when you're looking for it (excluding SSPX, but that's a different rant) it's so clear and interesting and I love it.

SSPX bothers me for SO MANY REASONS the biggest of which is that Mr. Gibbs puts the message before the overarching plot of everything, and then! It's not even a relevant message! Like, what twelve year old is hardcore believing QAnon (it's pretty obviously meant to be that or something similar). I feel like something could have been achieved and a message about privacy, like Murray makes getting a video of Ben part of some TikTok knockoff challenge, because that seems like a much more likely thing kids would do, but gotta make fun of people who remember what the news said two years ago and comparing it to what they say now! Can't have people with good memories! But yeah, it does shoot the series in the foot kind of, and I understand the reasoning behind why things were done the way they were! I just don't agree with it most of the time.

It's even funnier when you realize that it's not a year and a half evenly spread out, it's one mission his first year with five months before summer, one that summer, and seven his second year. Eight if you want to count SSGS and SSBI as different missions (I go back and forth as to whether or not I do). It's so funny. Please give poor Ben a break.

And yes! Ben is actually so much more competent than people seem to give him credit for sometimes. It's just that his skill set tends to be less flashy and useful in battle scenes, but he's very much the chess master of the group. He's the one planning and strategizing, and all the karate moves in the world aren't going to do you any good if you can't actually foil the plans.

My reasoning for why I'm okay with the age gap is because the narrative treats them as equals who are more or less in the same place in life. Like, yes she's two classes ahead of him, but for all intents and purposes, they're teamed up together constantly with others in Ben's class and I think Erica is the only one we really know about in her class (can't remember Chip's age, but he might be? idk, doesn't really matter). It's never dwelt on, and it bothers me when people try to make a deal about it! Like, they're not going to be in the same place in their lives forever. It's high school. Almost no one marries the person they dated in high school. I've long held that they'd break up sometimes after Erica graduates and starts her adult life while Ben is still in school (or something similar depending on how Mr. Gibbs decides to do things moving forward).

[evil-ontheinside]

Since I've seen a few recently (I wrote this a while ago so that's not quite true anymore), is this a good time to say that I also had a role swap au (as in: El -> Will -> Mike -> El) in my wips for a few months now? I'm probably never gonna write it but I do love my ideas for it

[sculien]

please help me save my dogs life.

my dog is suffering right now and i need to get him to the vet asap. his head has started wobbling, he has no balance and his eyes are...messed up. (he's also having a hard time opening his eyes) i know for a fact he has a severe flea allergy, and the house i'm staying at right now had no fleas until the neighbors moved in and we now have a literal infestation. (you can't walk thru this house or outside without having at least 10 fat fleas trying to body slam you) he was on meds for his allergies and was doing fine, but then i became homeless and was moving around too much to be able to work and keep him on it. so i'm pretty sure his immune system is overloaded with allergy attacks.

so i'm looking to raise at least $400, to cover the tests the vet would need to do + his medication. (the medication he absolutely needs is literally $100)

i'm also aware with him being 10 years old, the damage could be done and i might have to get him put down, which is about $200+ for his size.

i've attached a picture of him below under a read more with more info bc he looks a little scary and i don't wanna upset or freak anyone out.

i'm not doing a gofundme or anything similar bc i've heard horror stories of people not getting their money, and this is quite literally a life or death situation and with him being my soul dog, i can't take any chances.

any amount helps us out right now, and if you can't donate, please, please reblog. 💞 please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about anything!

p.ypal: @/airikah v.nmo: itserij c.shapp: $itserij *my real name and online name are the same, just spelled differently. airi/eri and airikah/erica are all me!

he's had a similar issue with his eyes like this before bc i didn't know he was allergic to fish, and i gave him salmon flavored food and the vet gave me some stuff and he was okay. (i literally had to pry open his eyes for this picture, he's having a hard time opening them)

he also has ptsd (yes, for real) about getting his nails cut so he will NOT let me touch them and i cant risk him hurting himself trying to get away from me right now (or biting me), and its $33 to get it done at his vet and they absolutely need to be cut asap bc i'm also sure thats throwing off his balance.

like i said before the flea stuff i have isnt strong enough to help him, so he's losing more hair and scratching himself bloody even tho i'm giving him a bath every other day. (he also has a skin condition that makes this all 100x more painful for him - the meds that he needs help with that skin condition as well. it also clears his chronic ear infections which is another reason i think he's wobblily and off balance)

[anarcoqueer1994]

Eddie was going to tell them, he promised Steve he would. Its was easy to tell the apocalypse crew, kind of hard to keep things from a group of people you saved the world with. But telling Corroded Coffin about his new boyfriend was different. Not that they would care that he has a boyfriend. They've known he was queer for a while. What he was worried was who he was dating.

They had spent years in high school touting their superiority over the "conformist, arrogant sheep, and their leader King Steve." Except he had been to harsh, he had gotten to know Steve.... love Steve. And he was afraid if he told Corroded Coffin, not only would they rag on him, but they may say something horrible to Steve. But Steve said he didn't care, that he could handle it. He would "kill them with kindness." He just wanted to be open with Eddie with all their friend groups.

So Eddie promised he would tell. There was a little part of him, though, a superficial part of him, that cared a little more about what his friends think than he should. And so, even though he told Steve he would, he has been dragging his feet. Unfortunately, Steve does not know that. Eddie told a little white lie a few weeks ago that he told them, bringing the brightest, prettiest smile to his face. Eddie had planned to tell them soon after.

But he still hasn't, did not realize the mess he was about to make. Tonight they were having Hellfire at the Wheeler house. Dustin, Will, Lucas, Mike, Erica and the rest of Corroded Coffin were there.

Dustin mentions that Steve would be there soon to bring he, Lucas, Erica and Will home. That's when Garreth says "I still don't see why you guys like hanging out with that guy. He always seemed like an asshole to me." Jeff and Caleb nod their heads.

"He kind of is." Mike jokes. "But he's not a bad dude."

"Steve is cool, man." Dustin adds, obvious admiration in his face.

"Yea, Steve has always been really nice to us." Will smiles. "He is like another big brother." The rest of the party, including Erica, nod in agreement.

Erica gets a shit eating grin(not knowing Eddie has not told Corresed Coffin about he and Steve dating) "And he's cute, right Eddie?" The rest of the guys except Lucas and Will groan in response.

Eddie tries to play it off. "Yea, Harrington is hot. Anyone with eyes can see that."

"Well you must think he's extra hot since he's your...' before she can finish Eddie cuts her off. "I think we are at a good place to stop for tonight."

Everyone notices the quick way he cut her off. Everyone looks confused, even if the younger teens are for a different reason. Jeff speaks up. "What's Steve, Eddie?" He pokes.

"Steve is Steve." He shoots back avoiding the question, slight embarrassment creeping to his cheeks. He knows he should say more, tell them about his wonderful, adorable boyfriend. But maybe he ego is too big to admit he fell for the jock.

"What are you talking about?" Dustin speaks up.

"Why are you being weird?" Mike adds.

Suddenly a chorus of voices chime in, all asking questions. "What is Steve?" "Eddie, why are you being like this?" "Is something up with Steve?"

Finally over the loud voices from his old friends and new friends, he defensively says. "Steve is nothing!" His cheeks are red.

Unfortunately, over the chaos, they hadn't heard Steve come down the steps, having heard Eddie's proclamation. He had come a bit early, thinking Correded Coffin knew. He was carrying a plate of cupcakes, wanting to make a good impression during the first time seeing Correded Coffin as Eddie’s boyfriend.

But he was wrong. They didn't know, and Eddie had lied to him. It hurt. It's not like Eddie’s friends are homophobic, so Eddie was...ashamed to be dating him.

"I'm nothing?" Steve's voice causes everyone to look behind them. Steve looks devastated, like Eddie had just took his heart and stomped on it in front of everyone.

"Steve..." Eddie jumps up, trying to will time to rewind, but he can’t. He hadn't meant to say those terrible things.

But Steve is shaking his head, setting the cupcakes down, before bounding back up the steps.

All the "kids" including Mike, practically shoot daggers at Eddie as they leave, following after Steve.

Eddie is left sitting in the basement, with his three confused bandmates, feeling deflated, knowing he just fucked up the best thing in his life.

Part 2? Let me know if you want to be added to a tag list.

Tag list closed, part 2 here :)

[aphrogeneias]

don't go (sharing your devotion) — one-shot

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: eddie's jealousy was loud, just like everything else he did. or, eddie realizes he can't keep being the sole object of his best friend's attention forever and ends up screwing things up.

maybe it was about time.

word count: 2.1k

warnings: friends to lovers, jealousy (on eddie's side, he's not proud of it), light angst, unresolved sexual tension, a little bit of smut (+18), a hint of sub!eddie

author's note: was inspired to upload this to tumblr by @cursedyuta's stellar subby eddie content, and it made me remember i had this hidden. this was supposed to be two-part but i couldn't find the motivation to write any more, i'm sorry about the open ending! maybe it will gain a follow up one day, never say never <3

Eddie's jealousy was loud, just like everything else he did.

It stemmed from regret, pure and simple. Regret of not asking you out all the times you were alone with him, of not confessing his feelings, of not making you his when he had the chance. You weren't his, no matter how much he acted like you were.

As far as everyone was concerned, you were Eddie's girl. Being the only girl in The Hellfire Club — until Erica Sinclair's unexpected arrival, that was — and the only girl he was always seen with, it was easy to make that assumption, and neither of you really cared to clear those rumors. Something in his chest swelled with pride anytime someone called you his girlfriend and all you did was roll your eyes, but never tell them they were wrong.

Sometimes he wondered if you knew. You had to know, he wasn't exactly hiding.

His reputation did most of the work to keep guys away from you, but there were a few, brave ones who weren't really intimidated by Eddie "The Freak" Munson — alleged satanist, cult leader and whatever other false atrocity this town was willing to put on his shoulders. Those brave ones, the ones who asked you on dates and dared keep you from spending time with him, suffered with Eddie's relentless, petty teasing and practiced death stares.

Steve Harrington didn't seem easily intimidated by him in the slightest, though.

Eddie had all but scoffed when you told him you'd been going out with the former King of Hawkins High. It wasn’t until he saw the two of you together that reality started to sink in.

He didn't mean for things to get ugly, but the moment realized you were slipping through his fingers was an awakening he didn't think he could handle.

"What was all that about?"

Eddie shrugged, running a hand through his shaggy hair, a little humid from sweat. It was hot that night, even hotter inside the small downstairs bathroom you locked yourself with him in. Outside, the small party the drama club kids were throwing went on, voices and music being muffled by the closed door.

"I just wanted to know what Harrington was doing hanging out with low lives like us. Can't I be curious?" His voice was a bit slurred, no doubt from all the cheap beer he downed before and after Corroded Coffin's gig, fuming as he stared at you from across the room, all tangled with Steve, laughing at his jokes.

You leaned on the tiled wall, crossing your arms. He tried not to let his eyes wander lower, to the way your tits were pushed up in that halter top that left little to the imagination, but his was already running wild. "Do you hear yourself, Eddie? When you speak? Or did all that headbanging finally mess with your brain?"

"I think that would be the drugs, sweetheart."

It was a poor attempt to make you laugh, he knew. You knew it too, because your face remained impassive.

"You were curious, then. That's why you threw a fucking scene? Is that why you acted like an idiot and dragged me along with you, in front of all of those people?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." He mumbled, now unable to meet your eyes. Shame was something Eddie rarely felt, comfortable in his own skin most of the time, no matter what other people thought — but when it came to you, all he wanted to do was shield you from those same judgemental gazes, but instead, he put you right in the way of their scrutiny.

All because he couldn't stand the sight of you flirting with someone else.

"Goddamnit, Eddie! Can't you be serious for once in your life? This isn't the first time you do this shit but this time you went too far."

"I didn't like watching Harrington being all over you, okay? I didn't like knowing he's going to take advantage of you just like he does with all those other girls. Is that what you want to hear?"

He knew he was exaggerating, in fact, he knew nothing about Steve Harrington's intentions towards you, or any of the other girls he was seen around with, but none of that mattered to the ugly, jealous monster roaring in his insides.

Sighing, you close your eyes before looking right into his. "No, Eddie. That's not what I want to hear, but an apology would be nice."

The words "I'm Sorry" were stuck inside his throat, along with those three little words he struggled to say to you, as he watched you leave through the door and lose yourself amongst the crowd.

The day after your fight was spent in his trailer, nursing a bad hangover and a broken heart, both of which were his own fault, and the consequences of his reckless behavior. One of them hurt more than the other.

Eddie was sitting on the old brown couch on the trailer's porch as the sun went down on the horizon, smoking the uptenth cigarette of that cursed day when he saw Steve's burgundy BMW enter the trailer park from afar, and stop right in front of the Mayfield's trailer.

That wasn't unusual, since Steve was often checking up on the Mayfield girl, just as he did with Dustin, as far as Eddie knew. What was different this time was you on his passenger seat, looking as pretty as you did the night before. He stood up as he watched you talk, his heart clenching inside his chest when you exchanged a quick kiss before you both left the car, Steve going into the Mayfield's home and you made your way to the opposite side.

His side.

He could see it from afar, the pain in your eyes. There was rage too, lingering, somewhere in there. Your hips swayed with the determined movements of your feet, and he couldn't help but let his eyes linger on the mini skirt you were wearing — the black one, his favorite. Not that you knew it was, but every time you wore it, his mind raced with thoughts of what was hidden under that tiny piece of fabric, struggling with the soft flesh of your thick thighs.

For a moment, he thought about how might look like to you, standing shirtless on his porch, a long since extinct cigarette hanging from his fingers, wearing those same old black jeans. He wondered if you could see the dark circles under his eyes, or if his hair looked like the bird's nest it certainly felt like. Eddie felt sick, unworthy of your presence, unworthy of you. He kept wishing you would turn away, back to the golden boy who had apparently won your heart, but suddenly there you were, right in front of him.

"Will you let me in, please? We need to talk."

Not trusting his voice, he nodded, stopping out of the porch and towards the door, where you followed him to. Once you were inside, the silence between you was heavy, oppressive, until you were the one who broke it.

“You know, you can’t keep guys away from me forever.” There was a shy, almost teasing, smile behind your words.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He avoided your eyes, tracking back further into the house and in the direction of his room, knowing you would follow him. The angry stomp of your boots behind him was like music to his ears, it made his heart race into his ribcage unlike any heavy beat of bass drums.

At that moment, Eddie couldn't find anything more beautiful than you — standing in the yellow light of his room, eyes set on him, brows and lips set on a hard line, making him want to reach out and run his fingers through them to soothe your expression. You looked like an avenging angel, a goddess come to put him in his place.

There was no one else he'd rather be on his knees for.

“Yes, you do. You know exactly what I’m talking about, and the worst part is that you keep acting like nothing is happening, like… like you haven’t been doing this for years. Eddie, I’m…”, it weighed on his heart, the way you sighed deeply, stopping yourself mid-sentence, “I’m tired. I’m tired of dancing around whatever is going on here, so you’ll either spit it out and tell me what you want, or I’m gonna walk out of here and go home with Steve, because at least he’s not the one bullshitting me.”

It wasn’t often that Eddie Munson was left speechless.

Ever the wordsmith, he should have had the perfect excuse on the tip of his tongue, but instead, he has nothing. Eddie watched you with dark eyes, burning under your gaze, his mouth sewn shut. With one last look, a bullet through his already wrecked chest, you turned to leave.

"No, no, no!" Panicking as he felt you slipping through his fingers, Eddie finally reached out, running to stand between you and the door, voice rising in a whine, "Don't go with Harrington. Please, I'll do anything you want, just… stay, please?"

You hesitated a little before coming closer, neatly brushing his chest with yours, your perfume making him almost dizzy, making him close his eyes for a moment, taking you in.

"All I want is for you to tell me what you want." You insisted.

Placing his hands on his hips, the same hands that were itching to touch you, and looking up, chuckling with nervousness, he finally confessed, "I want you. Is that good enough for you, huh? Is that what you want to hear?" He caught himself repeating the same words as yesterday, only this time, he meant then. "In fact, you're all I've ever wanted. I want you so bad it's embarrassing, Y/N. It's fucking ruining me."

Eddie was met with silence, but at the same time he looked down to you, you raised your hands to rest them on his chest, spreading heat through the worn out Sabbath shirt he was wearing and into his skin. "Did it kill you to admit that?"

"No, but you are, baby."

"Consider it payback for all the years you wasted being an asshole and not realizing you could have had me this whole time."

Pushing him slightly, taking advantage of How distracted he was by your unexpected — or should they be expected? — words, you maneuvered the both of you until he felt his knees hit the edge of his bed.

"Can I still have you now?"

With a final push from your delicate hands, Eddie landed softly on the bed, lying on his back, his hair falling like a dark halo around his bed. He saw your expression soften as you climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. This time, he didn't restrain from touching you, letting his hands slide over the skin of your soft thighs, squeezing them lightly. He could feel the heat of your pussy from under the thin fabric of your panties, making him swallow back a moan. He wanted to grind against you, release a little of the tension rising in his jeans, but he kept still, waiting for your next move.

It felt like a dream, you on top of him, looking like every bit of a wet dream as well. Your hands grabbed his wrists and positioned them above his head as you lowered your face right above his flustered one.

"You see, the thing is… I don't think you deserve to have me right now, Eddie baby. You need to think about what you've done a little more, don't you think?"

A shiver ran down his spine with your words, making his body writhe under you, a wild fire spreading through him, ready to eat him alive — just like you looked like you were about to do.

"See, I'm gonna have to go and find a way to let Steve down gently, and then we're gonna talk, actually talk, about whatever this is," you motioned with your head at the two of you, "okay? No more running, no more hiding."

"No more running, no more hiding." He nodded frantically, repeating your words. Eager to get on your good side again.

"Good." You placed a sweet kiss to his forehead, a stark contrast to the torture you were putting him through. "Was that so hard?"

You had no idea.

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

❤️

Summary; You're feeling a little bit shitty and being sick always makes you clingy, Eddie snaps at you while he's planning Hellfire not realising the reason why you're so clingy.

Warnings; Kinda mean Eddie, then soft Eddie, fluff, the reader is sick (headache), minors dni

Don't copy, reuse or repost my work 💕

❤️

Since you woke up this morning you had been feeling out of sorts, a pounding headache made you feel nauseated and it made you crave cuddles from your boyfriend Eddie.

When you were sick you always wanted cuddles, more affection.

Eddie was planning a massive campaign for Hellfire and normally you would never bother him during this time but you were feeling like shit and you just wanted Eddie to hold you for a little while.

Even though he had graduated now he still loved doing the campaign with his friends and you loved to join them sometimes, whether it was Eddie teaching you how to play or joining in on the campaign.

When you go to the drama club he's deep in planning for the campaign, scribbling notes and making sure everything is set up perfect.

"Eddie?" he briefly looks up and smiles.

"Hey princess" You kiss his cheek and cuddle into him. He stops what he's doing for a second, presses a kiss to your lips then manoeuvres around you to continue planning out the campaign.

"How's the planning going?" he nods barely taking his eyes off the notes he's wrote.

"Fine" you whine as he moves and you just want five minutes with him and walk up to him nuzzling into his chest.

You tug on his shirt and frustration gives way on his features.

"Jesus H Christ! The guys will be here any minute and I have so much to do. What is it?" he snaps and you wince at his annoyed tone as move away.

"You know what, it's fine. Sorry for bothering you" you reply hurt and he pauses, his irritation wavering.

"Princess, this is my big campaign it's important" The rest of Hellfire come in and you fake a smile, feeling even more shitty that Eddie snapped at you.

"I'll see you later Eddie, have a good campaign okay?" you smile at the guys then rush out before Eddie can call you back.

❤️

The campaign was a massive success, he had spent a lot of time on it and he was pleased everything went so well.

However, all through Hellfire, he felt guilty that he snapped at you, the way you tried to hide how upset you were caused his heart to ache.

The truth was he was still getting used to being with someone this long, he only really had hook ups and brief relationships.

Nobody really caught his eye until you came along, no one made him want to commit to something...more until you came along.

He loved you so much and it scared the shit out of him at first at how deeply he loved you, he was less scared now but he was still navigating having a busy love life with his social life.

Before you all that took up his time was Hellfire and band practice but now he was getting used to having an amazing partner who now took up a pretty large part of his thoughts.

You rarely ever bothered him during the later stages of planning a campaign, except when he taught you how to play when you expressed interest in attending a few meetings.

Something must be bothering you and he curses himself that he doesn't know what's wrong. He didn't even give you a chance to explain.

The boys and Erica loved you as well and Erica was very vocal about the fact that he had messed up.

Unbelievable. He was told off by an eleven-year-old.

He's anxious to speak to you now and hopes you went back to his trailer as per the usual after Hellfire night.

💕

When Eddie gets home, Uncle Wayne is waiting for him.

"Hey, Wayne. Is Princess here?" Wayne nods.

"You know your girl is sick son, she's stubborn as a mule and tried to pretend she isn't but I ain't falling for it" he freezes.

You were sick? Shit! he immediately hurries into his room and finds you fast asleep on his bed.

Very gently he settles down on the bed and your eyes flutter open.

"Eddie. How was the campaign?" he gets into bed with you and holds you close.

"It was great sweetheart, you could have stuck around" you sigh and shake your head.

"Didn't want to bother you" he feels his heart clench painfully.

"Babe..."

"You were planning Hellfire, you were already grumpy" he winces remembering his response to you wanting to cuddle.

"I was a big douchebag, a complete butthead sweetheart. Yeah, the campaigns important but you're my girl and much much more important to me"

He kisses your forehead.

"We've only been dating for a few months and it's not an excuse it's just Hellfire used to be the most important part of my life, and now you are but I still love Hellfire and sometimes I get lost in my own head about it"

This softens you a little bit and you snuggle deeper into him.

"Eddie, I never ever want you to apologise for what you love. It's so lovely seeing you get excited about Hellfire. I love that, I just needed some extra Eddie cuddles that's all, was feeling shitty"

He nods and rests his chin on top of your head.

"Yeah, Wayne told me you're sick. You're also very stubborn. However, Doctor Munson's orders are bedrest, cuddles and lots of soup"

You peer up at him and pout adorably.

"Kisses too?" he grins, feeling his heart melt at that pout. Fuck, if his friends could see the big bad Dungeon Master reduced to a puddle over a pout.

"Yes, Princess and my famous hot chocolate" you beam.

"Before all that tell me a little more about the campaign. I want to hear about it?" he settles down and chats to you excitedly, ready for a night with his girl.

💕

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Part Two to this.

Eddie was about halfway down to Chrissy's house when he came to a stop.

"I don't even know if she's home or if Steve is home and they're not even in the same place, so I can't ask them out at the same time," Eddie said. "I did NOT think this through. . .okay, get them to the same place. . . Get to the same place."

He pulled up in front of Chrissy's house and knocked on the door, hoping she'd answer. He breathed a sigh of relief when she did and not her mother.

"Eddie!" She beamed, showing all of her very cute teeth.

"Steve," he blurted out.

"Steve?" She asked in confusion. "You do know that I'm Chrissy, right?"

"That's not - I mean - Chrissy!" He exclaimed.

"Oh!" Chrissy exclaimed. "Are we finally doing this? Hell yeah! I know the perfect spot!"

She grabbed her jacket and closed the door. Eddie looked at her in surprise and then confusion.

"How do you know? Did the Coin Gods tell you?" Eddie asked.

"What? No. Coin Gods?" Chrissy said. "Are we talking about the same thing?"

"What are you talking about?" Eddie asked.

"The last time we were at Steve's house, and we got high," Chrissy said, and he continued to look at her in confusion. "We talked about killing Andy for attacking Erica."

"What? No!" Eddie exclaimed, shaking his head. "We're not killing Andy."

"Aw," Chrissy said in disappointment.

"But we are going over to Steve’s house. There's something I want to ask you two," Eddie said.

"Okay, I'm always up for spending time with you and Steve," Chrissy grinned.

Eddie giggled, hiding his face behind his hair for a moment. He opened the car door for her, and she hopped in. He let her mess with the radio, smiling as she began dancing in her seat to the music, and drove off. He hadn't even come to a complete stop before Chrissy hopped out and hurried to his door, opening it for him.

"It's only fair," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

He laughed and hopped out. They walked to Steve’s door and knocked together. Steve opened it and smiled excitedly.

"Oh! Yes, we're definitely going to do this!" Steve exclaimed. "Let me change, I do not want to get anything on these clothes. They're new."

"Don't bother, Steve, we're not killing anyone today," Chrissy said.

"Well, damn," Steve said, and then he smiled again. "Oh, well, I get to see you two. It's still a win."

"There's something that I wanted to ask you both," Eddie said and then paused. "WAIT!"

He ran back to the van and pulled out the flowers. Holding them in both hands, he ran back and held the flowers out to them.

"Ooh, we get flowers," Steve grinned.

"Oh, I love them," Chrissy said as she took hers.

"Me too, no one's ever given me flowers before," Steve blushed and sniffed his.

Eddie stared at them. They looked so beautiful in the sunlight shining through through the trees surrounding Steve’s house. Chrissy, with her strawberry blonde hair shining as bright as her smile. She had cut it short for the summer, so it was framing her face perfectly with the hairs tickling her chin. Her eyes squinted, practically disappearing the more she smiled. Steve’s caramel colored hair was streaked with blonde highlights, contrasting nicely with his tan skin. He and Chrissy had watched him sunbathe over the summer to get the tan just right. What did he come here for again? Oh, right.

"Well?" Eddie asked hopefully.

"You haven't asked us anything yet, Eddie," Chrissy giggled.

"Oh, right! Doyouwanttogooutwithme me?" Eddie asked in a rush.

Steve and Chrissy's smile widened. They shared a look with each before turning to look back at him.

"Yeah," Steve said with a crooked smile.

"We'd love to," Chrissy said.

They moved forward at the same time and kissed his cheeks before pulling back.

"We thought you'd never ask," Steve said.

"I had a hard time deciding between the two of you, and I would still be deciding if it hadn't been for this baby letting me know that it was okay to choose both," Eddie said, pulling out a quarter and told them what happened. "Watch."

He flipped the coin, and they all watched as it fell flat on the ground. Heads up. Eddie scratched his head.

"Didn't El and Erica spend the night at Max's?" Chrissy giggled.

"Oh, Goddamnit! All this over a fucking cookie!" Eddie groaned and then he laughed. "I still win!"

"Hm, I guess technically, you have Max and El to thank for this," Steve said.

"Ugh! Steve!"

The next time that Eddie interacted with Max, he tossed her a coin and thanked her. She didn't get the full story for another two months. It was only fair.

[steviesbicrisis]

I was hallucinating a few hours ago due to lack of sleep bUT-

Thinking about Steve who's confident in his bisexuality, told the kids that he likes both and that's okay because he knows they need, trying to flirt with Eddie who is in denial bc it has to be a joke, right? Harrington, the straightest man alive? Steve lady's man Harrington? Nah, it's only on his mind. Meanwhile Steve is getting more and more sad thinking he's being rejected.

Now, think about the Hellfire members knowing that Eddie's a crush on Steve because he talks about it CONSTANTLY and be sad because "he doesn't have a fat chance in hell". They're also very protective of him so if anyone new in the club is being homophobic, they just throw them out.

So one day Steve is in the Hellfire to wait for the kids and flirt a little, telling himself that "this is the last time, you'll get a GRIP and MOVE THE FUCK ON!" is what he tells to himself. He tries a little and drops after a while, so in the break time the old members tell him that he needs to leave, because they won't allow anyone doing that to Eddie, as in: they think Steve knows that Eddie's gay and likes him so he's flirting with him in a mocking way.

So he leaves.

And when everyone (Eddie + the kids) is asking where is Steve, they say that he was being homophobic, an automat answer and they quickly try to cover up because they don't want to do that to Eddie, but Dustin immediately response was:

"how can Steve be homophobic if he's bi?"

And the world freaking EXPLOSES!

not the steddie hallucinations LMAO

Thank you for sending me this ask because I'm president of "Steve is a confident disaster Bisexual" and I'm making t-shirts for club members as we speak.

Anyways, I think Steve would be extremely confident in his sexuality to the point where he just likes whoever and goes for it (with the right precautions of course). When Eddie comes out to him and the rest of their group, Steve doesn't even think about coming out to him as well because he's been out to the group for so long he just assumes that everyone close to him knows.

So when he realizes he likes Eddie and flirts with him, he doesn't know what to take from his reactions: he doesn't look annoyed or uninterested (think about the girls he would flirt with at Scoops) but he doesn't respond either, which is weird for someone like Eddie, who engages flirty banters even with plants.

Let's add to the mix that Steve's love life has been a mess recently, how many times can you be rejected before you think there's something wrong with you?

That's why he decides to go all in one last time and then leave Eddie alone, but even the worst scenarios in his head did not prepare him for Eddie's friends telling him off on his behalf.

Steve's head is a mess but most of it all, he's ashamed. He thinks he must've been so annoying and oblivious to Eddie's disinterest that the guy had to ask his friends to put Steve in his place for him.

So he finds himself in the school's parking lot, sitting on the hood of his car and mentally counting how much money he and Robin will need to move to another country (because not even the most embarrassing moment of his life will make him go anywhere without her), completely unaware of the chaos inside the Hellfire room.

Eddie isn't in a better mental state than Steve, so he's letting the kids and the band do the talk for him.

"What do you mean he's bisexual? of course he isn't, he's Steve Harrington!" Gareth exclaims, voicing out one of Eddie's many thoughts.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? do you need a special license for that?" Mike huffs, crossing his arms.

Jeff steps in to defend his friend "Of course not! But he's king Steve! And he's constantly picking on Eddie, you heard him!"

"Picking on him? Even a child could see that he has been throwing hints at Eddie for weeks now! What are you, five?"

Erica's words put an end to the discussion, silence falls down abruptly.

Eddie jumps up off his throne and follows wherever Steve had disappeared before, distantly hearing his friends muttered apologies.

He sighs in relief when he sees Steve hasn't left yet.

The car is parked the opposite way of the entrance, so Eddie can only see Steve's back, but he can tell he's gesturing and, when he's close enough, he can hear him talk.

"You can never take a hint, can you? This is so stupid, how can you go around saying you got game when you can't even tell if someone's interested in you? Harrington charm my ass" Steve's hands are all up in the air and Eddie realizes he's gesturing similar to how Eddie does on a daily basis.

It's cute.

"Please leave the Harrington charm out of this" Eddie interjects, making Steve jump in surprise.

He looks like a deer caught by car lights, but he hides it quickly behind a smirk that Eddie refers to - at least in his head - as bitchy Steve "so, no more sending your gang after me? are you worried they didn't do a good job? or am I forbidden to stay even in the parking lot? I'll let you know that I-"

Eddie loves mean girl Steve, but he has no time for him now, so he interrupts "Go on a date with me."

Steve's raised eyebrow and incredulous look tell him that he doesn't take him seriously in the slightest.

"I said, go on a date with me" he repeats.

"I heard you the first time" Steve's voice is close to a whisper "I just think you must've hit your head on your way here."

"You're the one always taking hits on the head, not me" Eddie takes a step closer to him.

Steve steps back "well, there's a first time for everyone" he says, looking away.

Eddie moves close again, his face only a few inches from Steve's "I don't hear an answer."

Steve's eyes flicker on Eddie's lips for half a second, "I didn't hear a question" he bites back.

Eddie smirks and, under Steve's shocked look, jumps on his car.

"Eddie, what the fuck? get down of my car!" he's trying to maintain a firm tone but Eddie can tell he's amused by his antics. Eddie couldn't ask for anything better.

He looks around the parking lot to make sure they're alone, then loudly enounces "Steve Fucking Harrington-"

"Don't say it like it's my middle name!"

Eddie ignores him "- king of the school grounds, best Scoops Ahoy model-"

"what does that even mean-"

"Worst employee that family video has ever had, Faberge Organics favorite costumer-"

"I told you that in confidence."

"Would you do this humble commoner kneeling at your presence" he kneels down theatrically as he says so "the honor of accompanying him for an evening of frivolous romantic shit that society expects you to do when you find a respectable partner?"

“If I say yes will you get down?”

Eddie moves his weight from one foot to the other, making the car under him bounce “I might consider it.”

Steve lifts his arms, apprehensively “Okay, yes fine! Now please get down-”

Eddie jumps down, right into Steve’s arms.

———

All the hellfire club members decide to stop spying on them and get back inside when Eddie’s highly entertaining antics turn into a gross make out session.

“So” Dustin elbows Gareth’s side “does that look homophobic to you?”

[ladykailitha]

Never Hold Back Your Step... Part 14

Hey, guys just a couple chapters left. The story is done. I kind skip over the Mind Flayer bit and get back to the heart of the story, Eddie and Steve.

It will be some time before I start the last one. The lack of interest for this one made it hard to finish and as you're aware I don't really like having to rely on canon so much. And the last one will have to feature it in someway. But we'll see.

In this we get Eddie calling in the cavalry, Steve and Robin are captured and Steve plays hero.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

~

To say Eddie was worried would be an understatement. He had gone to the mall to pick Steve up from work and he wasn’t there.

But he knew about the Russian message and he knew that there was one thing Steve couldn’t stand and that’s was letting a literal child rush headlong into danger, not if he could help it.

So he started looking around. There were bound to be clues. And sure enough, the ladder had been moved and vent wasn’t properly screwed on anymore. But there was no way that any of the three Musketeers would fit through that space and he shuddered to think what or who they would have gotten to go down that tunnel.

He put his hand on his hip and scratched his chin. Then he snapped his fingers. There was nothing for it. He was going to have to call in the cavalry and by cavalry he meant Uncle Wayne.

Eddie went to a payphone and pulled out a quarter. He dialed home.

“‘Ello,” Wayne greeted gruffly. “Wayne speaking.”

“Uncle Wayne!” he cried. “I’m at the mall and I can’t find Steve. His car is still here, but I can’t find him. Which his car being here is weird as I was supposed to pick him up.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Wayne said, nice and low, “This is about those comics, ain’t it?”

Eddie straightened his spine. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t be playing games with me, boy,” Wayne growled. “If your boy is trouble I need to know everything.”

“Meet me on the north side of the mall and I’ll tell you what I know,” Eddie whispered, looking over his shoulder. “I don’t want to say much over the phone.”

Again there was a beat then, “I’m on my way.”

~

The arguing was starting to mess with Steve’s head. In that he meant it was going to give him a migraine and then he was going to murder them. Particularly since he didn’t have his medication with him.

Because they were trapped in a fucking elevator underneath the mall and no way out or back up.

“Shut up!” he huffed. “I don’t care about Tina or Uncle Jack’s party, mmk?” He cocked his head forward for emphasis. “Look if we don’t find a way out of here, there wouldn’t be any parties or shit, because we’d all be dead. No one is looking for us, because they don’t know where we are.”

Erica popped her hip and placed her hand on it. “Maybe no one is looking for you. But my parents are absolutely looking for me.”

Steve covered his face with his hands. “Not what I meant! I mean no one is going to look for a secret Russian base under the mall because that’s fucking insane!”

Time went on and it was looking less and less likely they’d find a way out even with Dustin constantly trying to use his little communicator to reach out to anyone who could help when Robin heard someone coming.

They all ducked behind the crates when Steve got a bright idea. Taking Erica’s vial of green glowing liquid, he leapt into action.

As the elevator door closed, he stuck the vial between the floor and the door, effectively stopping its descent. He signaled to Dustin and Erica to get out first and then Robin. He rolled under the door just the vial’s strength gave out.

It shattered, its contents spewing all over the floor. Then to their horror it began to eat away at the floor and the door.

“Shit!” Dustin swore and Steve agreed. He barely missed rolling into the stuff and really didn’t want to know what it did to flesh if it did that to fucking metal.

They looked around but the only way to go was further into the base.

“Out of the frying pan,” Robin said with her hands on her hips, “and into the fire.”

Steve sighed and walked toward the long hallway, the other three following close behind.

~

Eddie paced in front of the movie theater. He was really worried about Steve now. He had asked a couple of the other people in the food court if they had seen anything, but the only thing they mentioned was that they closed early.

He wished not for the first time that Steve had thought to call him. But he knew why he didn’t. There were several reason that came to his head. That Dustin was super pushy about it and Steve wasn’t allowed the time to call. That Steve didn’t want him involved in whatever the hell this mess was. Which fair, but a head’s up would have been nice.

A beat up pickup pulled to a stop in front of him and he nearly sagged with relief. Uncle Wayne would know what to do.

Wayne was out of his truck and gathering Eddie up in his arms before his lip could even wobble.

Eddie told him everything Steve had said about weird shit in Hawkins and how everything was tied to that lab. He had been slowly prying it out of Steve over the last month whenever they were alone.

“We’ll find him,” Wayne said fiercely. “So he’s car’s here, which means it’s probably been left here overnight. Whatever happened, didn’t happen today. Which isn’t good. Who might he have gone to?”

Eddie frowned. “I’m pretty sure Dustin is already with him, and probably his co-worker, Robin Buckley.” He thought about the comic with the dire wolves. “Lucas Sinclair and Max Mayfield.”

“Ed,” Wayne said slowly, “those are children you just named.”

“Uh...” Eddie said, wrinkling his brow in concentration. “I know there are a couple of actual adults involved, but I don’t know who. I mean, I’d guess Mrs. Byers because her son is in the middle of all this shit, but...” he just shrugged.

Wayne rubbed his eyebrow in frustration. These were children, Steve included. He didn’t care if the boy just turned eighteen, Steve was only sixteen when all this shit started. None of them should have been anywhere near this shit.

“Hopper!” Eddie cried, snapping his fingers. “Steve said the police chef knew about the goings on here in Hawkins.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Wayne muttered darkly.

Secretly Eddie agreed. He was usually all about down with the man and conspiracies and all that shit, but the chief of police knowing that things are fucked up and not doing more to protect this town from whatever the hell this all was? Yeah, fuck that guy in particular.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Wayne said firmly. “I’m going to go the police station and hunt Hopper down, see if he knows about anything under the mall. You are going to stay here, keep an eye out for him at the mall. Since his car is still here, he’s got to be somewhere on the property.”

Eddie nodded, pursing his lips together and rocking back on his heels.

“Good,” Wayne groused. “I’ve got a pair of walkies in the cab of my truck, we’ll keep in contact that way, okay?”

Eddie heaved a sigh of relief. That made it easy to know where each other was at all times. He took the walkie talkie from Wayne and headed back into the mall.

He knew that Steve wouldn’t be in the food court, wherever he had gone, was away from the ice cream shop.

So he setup his vigil on one of the benches half way between the food court and the theater so that he could keep an eye on the two busiest locations.

He pulled out his little notebook to make it look like he was drawing or whatever to not arouse suspicion and settled in for a long wait.

~

Steve was fucking terrified. He wanted to run back to Forest Hills and crawl into Eddie’s bed and never come out of it ever again. They were only supposed to find out what the Russians were up to so that they could report it to their ‘friends’ at the DOE and be lauded as heroes instead of heaps of NDAs and admonishments to keep their mouths shut.

But now they were walking into something they didn’t even fucking know how to get out of. No one knew where they were. Or even where to start looking. Dustin had almost used up all the battery on his little communicator trying to get into contact with their friends and no one had answered.

And then he saw it.

It was a good thing he hadn’t eaten in who knows how long because he absolutely would have lost it.

“What the hell is that?” Erica said, reeling back in disgust.

“Dustin,” Steve implored. “Please tell me that isn’t what it looks like.”

Dustin grabbed his hand. “Uh...nope. It’s exactly what it looks like.”

They had reached a room where there were a lot of scientists running around, calling out in Russian and making notes on clipboards. In the center of the room was a red pulsating mass.

They ducked behind some boxes and Steve bit back a whimper.

“Is it open?” Steve asked Dustin.

Dustin peeked over the boxes and then ducked back down. “No. Not yet. But I bet that’s what the green goo is for.”

“Shit,” Steve hissed. “Of course they’re trying to open a Gate. What else would Russians want with Hawkins?”

Dustin looked devastated, because Steve was right. There was only one thing a foreign government would want in their fucked up little town. The Upside Down.

They managed to sneak around the scientists and found themselves in a control room. A mostly empty control with a single guard.

Steve plan was stupid. But it was all they had.

And it ended better than he thought it would if he was honest with himself. Robin and he had been captured while Erica and Dustin had gotten away.

They kept asking him over and over who they were and who they worked for. Steve did everything he could to keep the attention on him. Robin didn’t know anything. She didn’t know anything about Gates and monsters, and alternative dimensions. He kept repeating the truth over and over again.

“Steve Harrington, I work at Scoops Ahoy!” he chanted, his voice slurring after the fifth strike to the side of his face.

Again and again they didn’t believe him.

Then they took him away and the beating intensified. He was crying now and he didn’t care. He just wanted to have a barbecue with his boyfriend and his uncle. His parents had called him again to say that they wouldn’t be home. He hoped and feared that Eddie and Wayne were looking for him.

Then his world went black.

~

I'm not going to show Steve being tortured. This story isn't about that. It's not even really about season 3. It's about Steve and Eddie.

Part 15 Part 16

Tag List: FIVE SLOTS REMAINING

1- @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @blondie1006

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @angels-of-hades

7- @mugloversonly @y4r3luv @greeniebean911 @birbsauce @acingthecounts

8- @cryptid-system @counting-dollars-counting-stars @ravenfrog @dreamercec @sadisticaltarts

9- @clockworkballerina @bluelightsinthevoid @blcksh33p1987 @i-go-pink-in-the-night @mamafaithful

[malleleothreesome]

August 30th is my birthday!

🤍 Platinum Jacket Erica 🤍

When summoned: "We're going to some fancy museum? Wow! So cool! Bring out the free champagne and hors d'oeuvres! ...they don't do that here? Damn..."

Summon line: "I'm just glad for the opportunity to wear something truly beautiful. I used to love to dress up in my home world. Thank The Seven Crowley didn't 'accidentally' leave me on campus this time."

Groooovy!!: "When I was a kid, I was never one of those girls who wanted to grow up to be a Princess, because I thought all they did was sit around and do nothing. Here in Twisted Wonderland, I've come to realize there's a lot more to being royalty than I initially thought. Unless you're Leona."

Home: "100 year anniversary? *Squints eyes* Does that mean... Twisted Wonderland experiences a similar passage of time to my home world?"

Home Idle 1: "If Grim does something to mess up one of these paintings, or if he knocks something over, I don't think I'll ever live it down..."

Home Idle 2: "I love just following Riddle around... he's so knowledgeable about everything, it's like having my own personal tour guide!"

Home Idle 3: "Every time I see a painting of Maleficent I have to stop myself from saying, 'Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry.' Would that get me smited on the spot? Or do you think she'd take me in as her daughter like in the live action movie? ...what live action movie? Oh, nevermind..."

Home Idle - Login: "So this is The Land of Dawning. I'm always so excited to visit new locations outside of Sage Island! I hope I can travel this entire world before I have to go back to my home world."

Home Idle - Groovy: "Where's Malleus? I think he'd really like this painting! Don't tell me... oh, no... he's trying to get some champagne and hors d'oeuvres..."

Home Tap 1: "I'm trying not to let this fancy outfit get to my head, but damn, I look good... this must be how Vil feels on the red carpet!"

Home Tap 2: "The Queen of Hearts is really scar– I mean, cool. Really cool. Utmost respect. I'm bowing down. Please, don't take my head."

Home Tap 3: "Tweedledee and Tweedledum, I mean Ace and Deuce, are actually being pretty respectful in here. For once."

Home Tap 4: "If The King of Beasts could earn respect in Twisted Wonderland, I hope that means that Leona can, too. I want him to realize he has what it takes to make a difference in this world."

Home Tap 5: "Whoever painted these is really talented. I love looking at the fine details. It's amazing what people can accomplish with only their hands. It makes me feel a bit better about being magicless."

Home Tap - Groovy: "Since this is a museum, they gotta have a gift shop, right? I love looking at the gift shop! Can we go, please?"

Duo: [ERICA]: A battle?! Aaaa, I'm so unprepared for this! *Fists in the air even though she has no idea how to fight* Let's fuck shit up! [LEONA]: Grrr... Quit your whining and just get behind me already! You're doin' more harm than good, Sweetheart.

For the paintings, I wanted to showcase two of my favorite locations in my home world ;) When I think of what Disney represents to me, these are the two places I think of!

Yuusona art is from @hhyeart, template is from @thoselethalarts here.

[dezznuggz]

The Parents of the Friend group. |Part 1

Steve Harrington × reader

~the party already knows about yours and Steve's relationship and even before you and Steve got together, they made it pretty clear that Steve is the mom and you're the dad. Plain and simple

Warning: playfully bullying Steve, mentions of season 2, mentions of the upside down, reader pronouns she/her, y/n used a couple times

--------------------------------∆----------------------------

With everything that the party member went through at a young age, you and Steve always cared and protected them with any chance y'all get. With that being said, Steve made it a monthly thing to have the kids (including Robin and Eddie) sleepover for at least a night just so they can enjoy themselves young and to also ease Steve's paranoia of not knowing when another type of monster will appear out of the blue. You didn't have a problem with the idea of course mostly since you loved the kids as if they were your own kids but it gets tiring after a while, mostly when it's in your own home.

Tossing and turning in bed while hearing loud chatters in the distance. Moving around to grab a hold of Steve and hopefully cuddle back to sleep but you feel the other side of the bed empty.

Is it the 24th already?

Groggily getting out of bed still half asleep and walking to the bathroom to freshen up and get ready for one hell of a day. After wearing something more appropriate and becoming wide awake, you mentally prepare yourself to walk out into the chaos. When you open the door, everything suddenly becomes clearer and louder. You see Erica and Dustin arguing about what channel to put on. Max and Robin are practically attacking Lucas for his poor taste in comics. Eddie, Mike, and Will try explaining d&d to El (who clearly is not interested). Then you see the main person that you wanted to spend your morning with, but they were clearly occupied and busy. Already heading to the kitchen to your lover to say good morning while giving a peck on the lips.

"Every month...every month, I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore" you say while looking at the hoard of people in the living room talking over each other. "I swear they're little geniuses but when it comes to being on time, they're rather late or too early and today is one of those days." Steve says while mixing a bowl of pancakes batter. "Remember you wanted this, so you can't fully blame them." You say while warming up a cup of coffee, "oh no no no, you can't partially blame me for this, don't act as if you didnt want them around either" Steve says while looking from the pancake batter then to you with a small smile. Okay maybe you also found comfort in having the kids around including Robin and Eddie, it feels more home warming but it's the mess they leave after. "Well...I'm not sure what I can say to that other than calling dibs to drop off the kids" you say frantically before leaving the kitchen and into the living room while hearing Steve trying to call you back in the kitchen.

Once you step in the living room, you weren't sure if you wanted to go back and continue the conversation that you just had with Steve or try to at least have the kids calm down and lower their voices. "Jesus I don't know how you deal with this nerd, all he does is shove facts down your throat!" Erica practically yells at you before walking away from Dustin who is hot on her tail. "Oh IM THE NERD, you practically have the whole pony lore merged in your girly little brain" Dustin yells back at Erica while also passing by you and saying a quiet good morning (which you say good morning back).

"okay well let's leave that to Steve.." you say under your breath before walking to the little closet room in yours and Steve's house to pull out blankets and more pillows already preparing for tonight and maybe for a game that will last till night out. "Hey!" Will said pretty loudly in your ear which had you flinching a little, "Oh my God, what happened, I thought you were with Eddie and Mike? Did you forget your toothbrush again? Or was it your underwear again? You know Steve doesn't really mind besides he barley knows." You ramble and ask multiple questions to Will and whispering the last part knowing that it happened once and he trusted in only telling you. "WHAT no I'm fine, everything's fine, I just wanted to help out a little you know since it's the least we can do" Will says in a soft tone. "Oh no it's okay honey... Well you know what, maybe a little help wouldn't hurt right?" You say hesitantly, knowing how Steve gets when the kids actually help around. He tends to take control but not in a mean way more of a 'just rest my child and I'll take care of you' typa way. "Okay I need you to carry this... And this, and hold this one for me please....oh can't forget Max's..." You say while stacking pillows and blankets in Will's arms which slowly starts piling up to the point that his face is no longer able to be seen.

"is that it?..." Will asks while trying to peep his head out a little just to see if there are any more blankets, "umm....no you know what that's about it, good job buddy" you say before patting Will's shoulder indicating that he should follow you. Both you and Will walk to the living room to find everyone gone then you hear a faint voice counting. "Okay that's 2,4,6,8....8?" Steve says after counting heads to make sure everyone was sat at the table ready to eat although with so much noise and talking going around he can't seem to know if he counted wrong. But just as Steve suspected, he did count wrong as 2 more people walked into the dining room. "Ah there you guys are, okay so that's 10 in total" Steve says with a relief but his cheery tone went away as he saw Will's bottom half since the other half was covered with piles of blankets and pillows. "Babe we talked about this, if you need help call me, now look what you have done to the boy, I can't even see him" Steve says dramatically. You let out a sigh as you take the pillows and blankets from Will and told him to sit down and eat, "it's fine babe he offered and I took it, it's not gonna hurt him. And besides you seemed a little busy so I didn't want to disturb you." You say trying to calm a dramatic Steve down since you always are the one to just take things with a flow while Steve is the one to control the flow.

"I'm not gonna tell you again, if you ever need help just call me over and I'll be there, okay?" Steve says while looking down at you waiting for a response, "sure." You say just to please Steve, "good, now sit down and eat before it gets cold" Steve says with a more cheery tone as he presses a kiss on your lips.

-----------------------------∆-------------------------------

"UNOOO!!" Eddie exclaims very loudly which caused the kids to groan since they know that Eddie's cheating but they just can't prove it. Everyone was currently sitting on the floor around the little coffee table in the middle of the living room. Everyone decided to play uno after a long argument on how we should play it due to Dustin being competitive and wanting a specific way to play like whether or not we can jump in or pair up with someone. Everyone told him that we're just gonna play uno for the fun of it with no arguments and no competition, which never happened. Steve and you ended up teaming up and showing each other y'all's cards, Erica started becoming aggressive towards Lucas who kept +4 her. "Is there a problem between you and me cause last time I checked, we're blood related and BLOOD RELATED PEOPLE DONT BETRAY EACHOTHER!" Erica screams in Lucas's face while Lucas laughs at her overreacting. "Woah okay Erica calm down, here take my +4 and you'll get him next time when we reverse." Steve says to Erica while passing the card across the table to Erica who simply denied it and said that she didn't want his pity. "Let her fuss it out babe, she'll get over it" you say while laughing a little since you were Erica's babysitter at some point of time, so you knew how long Erica's little tantrums would last.

As the game ended with Robin somehow winning and multiple arguments breaking out. We all went out separate ways as it was almost time for dinner. You and Steve both walk into the kitchen just to finally enjoy y'all's personal time (even though y'all live together). With you deciding that you don't wanna cook, and Steve not knowing what to cook, you both agreed to order Chinese food. It was cheap and the most agreeable among the party members. Pizza was always complicated for the party, Lucas liked olives while Robin was allergic, and El liked pineapple on hers which Eddie completely despised to be in sight of pineapple pizza. Everyone had their own pizza preference that was just too much to order all together but Chinese food is what got everyone to enjoy (although you weren't a fan of Chinese food but you'll eat it for the kids).

Steve finished the order for Chinese food that we will soon have to pick up but in the mean time it was just you and Steve. Steve and you. Both embracing and enjoying each other's company even when yall aren't doing anything but it just felt so comfortable and loving. You sat on the counter with your feet dangling and Steve between your thighs while looking up at you and admiring you as if you were an angel. "You ever think about having kids" Steve asks with a foolish grin across his face, "woah, a very unexpected question at the moment" you say giggling but slowly stopped when you saw Steve still waiting for an answer, "I don't know, maybe,...actually yeah but as long as it's your kids" you say also with a foolish grin which made Steve blush "you know I actually want 6 kids, I don't remember telling you that" Steve says looking deep in your eyes, "oh trust me I remember you specifically telling me how many and what their names would be" you exclaim while rolling your eyes playfully since you have indeed heard multiple times and it's not like your complaining, infact you loved the idea of Steve also seeing his future with you and you guys are only 20 years old. "Let's get married" Steve says with a straight face and you let out a laugh but stop and clear your throat when Steve still looks at you with a straight face, "you're serious? Okay umm listen Steve I love you, I really do and I don't even want to imagine a life without you but we're 20 and we both work at a minimum wage job that barley pays for rent." You say rambling a little, "but trust me when I tell you this, I wanna get married with you so bad and specifically only you but just not right now or at least where we're at right now" you try to say with a little bit of a cheery voice so you don't totally break Steve's heart, "I promise" you say while holding out your pinky Infront of Steve's pouty face, "okay but is it okay if we have kids before we get married?" Steve asks before he even locks both of y'all's pinkies together "whatever makes you happy babe" you tell Steve with a toothy grin knowing that it would cheer Steve up, he then locks both of y'all's pinkies together and gives you a very passionate kiss that caused you to let out a little giggle in the middle of it.

"oh dude, I thought Robin said no public pda" Mike exclaims with a face of disgust before walking and purposely bumping into Steve's back to get a cold water bottle from the fridge. "Dude we're trying our best to keep it private", Steve says in a very judging tone, "you know Mike, me and Steve have seen you and El kiss but you don't see us making a big scene, have you tried growing up a little?" You say to Mike cause this isn't the first time that you and Mike have had this conversation about pda. "if it requires me growing up and becoming anything like y'all, I'd rather stay young and immature" Mike says before walking off but not before steve tells him to watch his tone. "I'm pretty sure he just called us old in so many different ways" you say to Steve, "he just doesn't get it cause he doesn't know what REAL love is, all he knows is young love....and I'm not old, trust I'm never gonna look old either" Steve says before fixing his hair with a pouty face which you laugh at cause you know how dramatic Steve gets when it comes to his age and specifically his looks.

"oh stop whining, we all know that you're gonna get grey hairs by soon mostly with all the stress the kids keep giving you" Robin suddenly comes in the kitchen startling you both just a little. "Okay first of all shut up and don't jinx it, and second who was talking to you?" Steve says in a very sassy tone since his hair is "his best feature" so God forbid anything happens to it. You let out a breathy laugh as Robin kept adding more gas into the fire. "Oh what's so funny huh, you do know you're gonna end up with grey hairs too so we'll both look 50 in our 30s" Steve says which causes you to stop laughing and before you can say anything Robin practically speaks for you, "uh no she won't, cause the kids are scared of her so they always act right around her but with you Steve, oh boy do they give you hell. In fact I'm pretty sure they only listen to y/n" Robin says with a small smirk on her lips. "Oh that's so not true!" Steve says raising his voice a little to state that he completely disagrees with Robin, "yea it is, remember at Byers house during fall, when you know the whole incident happened." You say trying to get Steve to recall what exactly happened that night, "yea what about it?" Steve says still not remembering how that night has anything to do with what they were walking about.

--------------------------------∆----------------------------

Fall night 1984:

You and Steve were trusted to take care of the kids. It wasn't anything new to you when it came to having full responsibility of the kids. It practically came as a free side job for you since you protected the kids without any questions asked or needed. For Steve on the other hand, his first time taking care of 5 kids at once and he felt like there was so much responsibility in his hands. He just felt the need to take full control due to the fear of not being able to know what the kids are doing 24/7 at the moment.

With Mike and Lucas arguing about Mike panicking and Dustin having Steve shove a demo-dog in ms.byers fridge it all felt hectic to you but nothing that you couldn't handle. The only calm one that was there was max due to it being her first rodeo and completely confused about the whole situation. Suddenly all the kids start making up a plan on how to help El and everyone else that's heading towards the lab that's filled with deadly creatures. While hearing this plan Steve completely shuts it down. "Yea and then we all die" Steve says making it clear that he totally disapproves of their idea, "well that's one point of view" you say in a sarcastic way, "no y/n that's not one point of view, that's a fact" Steve says with an attitude mostly since you're the other adult that's supposed to help him out but isn't even backing him up. You then raise your hands in surrender and give Steve a mocking face before going back to sweeping up glass with max. Mike then walks off with everyone following right behind him, you and Max decide to forget about the glass pieces since there're definitely way more important things to focus on.

With Mike making a master plan of setting up the underground base on fire and having Dustin,max, and Lucas add onto the idea Steve finally attempts to put his foot down. "We're staying here, ON THE BENCH, and we're waiting for the starting team to do their job, does everybody understand that" Steve says in a demanding tone, "THIS ISN'T A STUPID SPORTS GAME?!" Mike complains to Steve but Steve still stood his ground "I said does everybody understand that, I need a yes.." Steve says pointing his fingers at the kids waiting for a response. "We don't need to listen to you" Mike says still annoyed at Steve, "okay you know what, that's enough...y/n control your kids" steve finally starts talking to you but all you did was respond with crossing your arms and shrugging your shoulders as a sign that there's really not much to say. "Oh seriously you're in on this too!?" Steve exclaims in a flabbergasted tone, "I don't know what to say Steve, it sounds like a really good plan". "Yea a good plan to get us killed". "We're not gonna die okay they know what they're doing!". "Yes imma let a bunch of kids guide me into saving the world, yea sure why not jump off a cliff while I'm at it!",

you and Steve bicker back and forth till you finally give in just to calm Steve down and to get him to shut up, "alright kids you heard him, this plan just might get us killed, steve and only steve thinks its best for us to stay put here" you say in a very rude tone to show that you also dont approved of steves idea, "but-" lucas wanted to say something but went completely quiet when you gave him a look to not talk back "we understand". "fine". "Sure". "Whatever" was the only response you got from the kids as they all got up from the floor but completely halted in their steps when they heard a very loud engine outside...

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"okay that doesn't even count, they kids were getting used to me at that time so they just don't understand how scary I can get, they listen to me. I know they do it's just y'all aren't around or y'all don't remember" Steve says still trying to defend himself which causes you and Robin to laugh at Steve's attempt. "You're right that's one of the many times that the kids listened to y/n but if you want I can go on and on and on" Robin says trying to rile Steve up and laughing through her sentence, "okay you know what I think it's time for us to pick up the food" Steve says before walking into the living room filled with many people that just seem to be in their own world, "alright who wants to come with me and get the food?.." steve says loud enough for then to hear but there still was no response given to him, you weren't even sure if they heard him. "HEY! Who wants to go with Steve and pick up the food!?" You say loudly which caused everyone's attention on you and still no response but instead everyone is looking at each other to see who's willing to volunteer and go with Steve, "no one? Okay... Dustin go with Steve" you say short and simple which caused Dustin to let out a dramatic groan, "why do I gotta go, make Mike go or max go" Dustin whines to you, "no complaints now get up and get the food. NOW!?" you reply to Dustin's complaints and say the last part loudly since you didn't see him move until you raised your voice.

You then walked up to Steve giving him a pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek before walking to the bathroom. Everyone goes back to their own world again and Steve still is a little mad at the fact that the kids do only listen to you and never Steve.

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Everyone's back at the dining table and there is not a single moment that's silent. Everything is everywhere. Things being passed around in front of everyone, people calling other people's attention from across the table and loud laughter filling the air. It didn't bother you at all, okay maybe a little but you also don't know how else you would prefer the kids to be.

You suddenly snap out of your little thoughts when max mentions your name. "Y/n literally wears the pants of the relationship" max tells Steve, who is still flabbergasted at the fact that the kids listen to only you, "no she doesn't, I think that me and her both are equal in our relationship, right babe" Steve then turns to you asking for your input and opinion, "max we're equal there's no one that wears the pants okay...but I do have to take the lead sometimes" you say the last part quietly but not quite enough for Steve to not hear. "Okay first of all you don't take the lead ALL the time and I wouldn't even put it as you taking the lead, more like you knowing what's better" Steve says defending himself, "oh so she does take the lead I knew it" Eddie then chimes in the conversation out of nowhere, "no she doesn't are you guys even listening to what I'm saying?!" Steve says in a frantic way since he feels as if he's being attacked.

"Wait you're telling me that throughout all the shit we've been through, y/n has always been the decision maker?!" Eddie says in a shocked tone from connecting dots in his mind, "what no of course I make decisions too, you guys act as if I don't do anything!?" Steve raises his voice slightly which causes max and Eddie to laugh out loudly which also causes everyone else's conversation to cut off and wanting to know what's so funny. "We didn't say you don't do anything, we're just saying that you mostly listen to y/n. It honestly seems as if she wears the pants in the relationship" Eddie says while still laughing, this causes others who have been listening to laugh too. "I think we all made it clear that y/n wears the pants, I mean like look at them" max says while gesturing her hands toward me and Steve which causes us to look at each other up and down.

"It's like Steve is the mom and y/n is the dad can we all make that clear" Robin says and everyone else agrees with a small response. "Wait what?" You say a little confused on how the subject can change fast but not the topic which was y'all two, you and Steve being the target and center of the conversation. "Yea I mean you guys are like an old married couple that love each other, I think that's pretty obvious right?" Lucas says that also has everyone else agreeing with him. "Steve is so strict and paranoid like a mom and y/n is so chill and a floater like a dad." Mike adds to Lucas's statement that causes Erica to butt in, "Steve yells at me for not taking my shoes off when I walk in, y/n doesn't even bat an eye about it" Erica's comment left Steve flabbergasted. This had Steve more aware of how motherly he's been acting through the past years. "So I'm the lame, no fun boring mom while y/n is the cool fun dad?!?" Steve asks as if clarification to make sure that what they're saying to him is correct. "Pretty much". "Yea honestly". "if the show fits". "Yea" was the response Steve gets from the kids, "that's so not true I can be fun. Matter in fact I'm totally fun it's just not with y'all. I'm so fun that you guys wouldn't be able to handle me." Steve rants about how fun he is just to prove that he's not a boring mom but that doesn't seem to get to the kids, "that's exactly what a mom would say" Dustin then says to stop Steve from going on and on about "how fun he is", and this time it left Steve silent, infact it left the whole table silent waiting to see what else Steve has left to say but clearly he had nothing.

The silence caused you to let out a little snort of laughter which caused everyone to look at you. Seeing Steve get terrorized by a bunch of kids was too funny to hold in that Steve himself laughed. With you and Steve laughing this caused everyone else to laugh along. Everyone then went back to their regular conversation as if nothing happened.

You then looked at Steve with a cocky grin, "I'm their favorite parent" you say while smirking at him, "don't start" Steve says while rolling his eyes playfully and chuckling.

-----------------------------∆-------------------------------

With everything that has happened in the last 15 hours, the party members calmly agreed to end the day off with a movie. Robin, max, Erica, and El had the couch while everyone else had the floor. The girls wanted you to be on the couch with them but you wanted to end the day with you being in Steve's arms. "Okay everyone brushed their teeth?" Steve asks before he gets himself comfortable and sitting on the floor next to you, "yes MOM" Will says in a joking way which caused Steve to let out a huff then laugh a little. "Come on guys leave him alone, lord knows how many grey hairs you're going to give him by 30" you say in a teasing tone that caused everyone to laugh. "Oooo you're lucky I love you" Steve says after turning off all the light and putting the movie on and laying next to you.

The movie goes on for a while until everyone is out cold. All the junk they ate today completely drained them out. "You know I don't mind being the mom anymore" Steve says all of a sudden, "really? Why's that?" You say a little curious about the sudden change of opinion, "it lets me know that the kids know that I care for them even if it means I'm not fun." Steve says in a low voice trying not to wake everyone up, "I think they already know that you care for them. They just say that to get a rise out of you", you say letting out a breathy laugh that you covered with your mouth. "At least they aren't scared of me" Steve says trying to make himself feel better, "well at least they think I'm fun" you reply back in an instant to Steve's remark. "At least we're viewed as their parents" Steve says looking into your eyes with a boyish grin. "You know what, you're right, at least they look up to us" you reply back to Steve before leaning in to kiss him which Steve kissed back in an instant.

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?!?!" Mike exclaims in a loud tone since he just caught you and Steve making out AGAIN.

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Pls don't be a silent reader and I hope u enjoyed

[chasingstardustandmoonbeams]

Once More (I)

A/N: This will be labor or love, truly. I'd like to thank Palm Springs and that one episode of Agents of Shield for helping with some of the science. Yes, I am making a playlist for the ambitious fic. No, I don't know how long it will be. Enjoy the ride.

Words: 1.7k

Warnings: None (unless you want to count me working on this as I go with only 10% of a plan and minimal proof reading).

Description: It was almost maddening. Repeating the same day over and over again. Waking, dying, waking, on and on again until you nearly spiraled. Or at least you would have if it wasn't for him. There was no one you could turn to outside of each other. You had only yourself, him, and the endless loop that trapped you both.

Gif taken from (x)

Soundtrack to the fic

Your heart was racing, adrenaline coursing through you as you ran. Not again. Not this time. It wouldn’t happen again - you wouldn’t let it. This had to end and it had to end now. 

You turned a corner and made your way to the turbolift. Spock stood tall - his eyes solely on you. 

“Together?” He said simply, his eyes taking in your face. 

“Together,” you repeated. You stood in front of him now, both your hands over the comm panel. Your fingers brushed against each other, Spock took a step closer towards you. 

Neither of you looked away as you both pushed down. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You can’t be serious!” 

“Oh, dead serious,” Erica smirked proudly. Her smile only grew at Uhura’s look of disbelief. 

“There is no way you won five times in a row,” Uhura slumped back in her seat. 

“I warned you not to play with her,” you added, smirking into your drink. Uhura merely huffed in response. “I lost three rounds of poker to her before I figured it out,” you laughed before Erica nudged you with her elbow.

“Learned what?” Uhura questioned, her accusing expression directed at Erica. 

“Nothing. There was nothing to learn!” Erica crossed her arms across her chest trying her best not to look guilty. 

Downing the rest of your drink, you got up from your seat. It had been a long day on the engineering deck. It had been one strange anomaly reading after the other. You weren’t sure what was causing it - every time you thought you were getting close, it disappeared. 

The enterprise was nearing uncharted territory. As far as you were concerned there had been no problems reported. But something had caused the peculiar readings. 

It wasn’t a big deal. Captain would have notified engineering if it was. Or a science officer would have reached out. Spock most likely. He never missed anything. 

“You can’t be leaving already,” Uhura stated, Erica mirroring her surprise. 

You let out a sigh, “Long day. Weird day.” You picked your data pad off of the table, holding it loosely in your left hand. 

“Weird?” Erica leaned forward in her seat. “That’s, like, almost everyday here. You gotta be more specific.”

“We had some strange readings today - I couldn’t pinpoint it,” you paused looking at both Uhura and Erica, “There wasn’t anything strange going on today on the bridge was there?”

They both shook their heads no. 

“I mean,” Erica paused thoughtfully, “There was this… storm, I guess? Nothing completely out of the ordinary. Sensors didn’t pick up anything significant.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Uhura said. Leaning back in her chair. “Go rest up, take it easy,” she smiled up at you. 

You smiled warmly at them both before making your way out of the mess hall. Your mind still drifting back to the strange readings from earlier. Uhura was right, you should let it go- but you couldn’t. 

Making your way to the turbolift, you were surprised to see Spock already occupying the space. 

“Lieutenant L/N,” he stated, nodding curtly at you. 

“Lieutenant Spock,” you smiled, stepping inside. “Engineering,” you said passively, the turbolift starting up. 

There was a beat before Spock’s voice filled the turbolift. “I was not aware you changed to beta shift.” 

“I didn’t,” you glanced at him, his expression blank save the quirk of his eyebrow. “I thought I’d check on the warp core one more time. There was something odd about the readings today.” 

You shifted your weight as you chanced another glance at Spock. 

He gave you his full attention now, “I too discovered irregular readings.” He looked down at you curiously. “What did you-”

The both of you were jostled as the turbo lift immediately stopped. Spock’s hands held you steady at the waist before letting you go. 

Your hands reached out for the console when the turbolift dropped down a level. 

“What is going on?” you gritted out, your hands quickly moving over the control panel to try and figure out what was happening. It looked like the power was being diverted. You weren’t sure why. Nothing prior to this would account for the ship needing to conserve power. Maybe-

“It appears that power is being diverted to essential ship functions,” Spock stated over your shoulder. 

“I hadn’t thought of that,” you said sarcastically as you popped open the panel. 

“I am surprised that, as assistant chief engineer, you had not come to that conclusion.” 

You let out a sigh before turning to look briefly at Spock, “I had thought of it.” 

Spock titled his head to the side, “You just stated -” 

“Spock. I was being sarcastic. I just - I need to get a better look at this. I might have to get access through the roof.” 

You knew you were being a bit short with him, you couldn’t help it. The whole situation made you anxious. Something about this didn’t seem right. It was all off. The only calming presence was Spock, always logical and reassuring. 

“Lieutenant, I would not recommend attempting to exit the turbolift. If the power -” 

“I know the risks, Spock, but what else are we going to do?” You turned to look at him now. “The comms aren’t working and my data pad isn’t getting any messages out.” 

You tried your best to breathe, to calm your thoughts. Everything was going to be fine. You both were going to be fine. 

Spock gave you a long assessing look before he nodded in agreement. 

“Will you help me up?” You asked, readying yourself to be lifted. Spock wordlessly lifted you. You worked quickly to try and remove the roof paneling when the turbolift jolted once more. Despite Spock's firm on you, the quick jostling caused your bodies to be thrown. 

Your head hit the side of the turbolift with a sickening thud. Pain radiated through you - your vision getting blurry. Warmth spread down the side of your face. Unable to move your body you could only assume you were bleeding from the impact. You tried unsuccessfully to keep your eyes open, but you couldn’t. 

Spock’s hands cradled your head as your eyes closed. Faintly, you could feel him resting your head in his lap. 

“Lieutenant,” he called out to you, “L/N”, he tried once more but the pain was beginning to dull until you felt nothing at all. “Y/N, you need to stay awake. Help will come. Don’t fall asleep, you have lost too much blood.” 

If you didn’t know any better you might have heard the worried tone in his voice. 

The turbolift dropped once more, rapidly descending in a way you knew both of you wouldn’t survive. Spock leaned down, trying his best to shield your body. 

The last thing you could recall was a light so bright that it nearly blinded you despite your eyes being closed, the sickening feeling of free fall, and Spock’s warm body holding you close. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You awoke with a gasp. Sweat covered your body as you sat up in your bed. You rubbed your hands over your face. The dream, if you could even call it that, had been the most intense thing you had ever experienced. 

Absentmindedly, you found your hand reaching for the back of your head. There was no pain - yet you could almost feel the phantom ache. Shaking yourself from your dream, you got up and got ready for the day. Your engineering shift would be starting soon. 

Straightening out your red shirt, you made your way to the turbolift. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of deja vu. 

“Engineering,” you stated, waiting as the turbolift took you to your destination. You found yourself anxious. You couldn't figure out why. The dream was just a dream - nothing more. 

The doors of the turbolift opened and you walked to your station. Commander Pelia gave you a warm smile as before she continued work on her data pad. 

You began your routine scans when you noticed the same anomaly - the one from your dream. You stood gaping at your scanners. 

“Everything alright, Lieutenant?” Commander Pelia asked you. 

Before you could answer, the anomaly disappeared as quickly as it came. “No- yes. Yes, everything is fine.” 

It was fine, wasn’t it?

The rest of your day went by in a blur. Conversations, scans, everything repeated itself from your dream. It wasn’t possible. There was no way, unless…unless…

In an almost daze you found yourself in the mess hall. Erica and Uhura were already seated playing cards. 

“You can’t be serious!” 

You stopped dead in your tracks. 

“Oh, dead serious,” Erica smirked proudly. 

“There is no way you won five times in a row,” Uhura slumped back in her seat. 

No. 

No. It couldn’t be possible. 

“Y/N? You okay?” Erica was giving you a concerned look. Uhura was already out of her chair making her way towards you. She took you by the elbow and led you to the empty chair at their table. 

“Y/N?”

You blinked roughly, your eyes snapping to Erica. “Was there…was there some type of storm today?”

“Uh, yeah actually. Couldn’t really figure out what it was. Scanners didn’t pick anything up.” 

“I have to go,” you said quickly, rushing out of the mess hall. You ignored their calls of concern. 

You bumped into La’an as you rounded the corner to the turbolift. You mumbled an apology, not waiting for a response. 

The turbolift opened. Spock stood in the entryway, his expression nearly unreadable. His eyes frantically looked over your face, his eyes lingering on where you hit your head in your dream. 

“It wasn’t a dream was it?” you whispered, slowly entering the turbolift. 

“No,” he replied. His eyes not leaving yours. “I believe we are experiencing the events of yesterday again.” 

“No one else remembers,” you paused, “Why do we-” 

The turbolift jolted. Your frantic eyes met Spock once more. 

“The anomaly. I believe that whatever is causing the abnormal readings is triggering-” 

Spock caught you as you jolted forward into his chest, the turbolift dropping a level. Not again, not again. 

You took a deep breath, “I still couldn’t pinpoint the readings. Every time I get close, it disappears. It-” 

The turbolift began its rapid descent. Spock held onto your arms tightly, your eyes only on each other. 

“Find me sooner,” you said as the white light engulfed you both. The warmth of Spock's hands on your arms the only sensation you focused on as you both plummeted into the abyss.

[mirai-e-jump]

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Character Book: The Bonds Connected by Moffun and Racules?! Main Cast Member Interviews (translations below, long post)

(other pages)

Murakami Erica x Hirakawa Yuzuki x Hasegawa Kasumi

"Since this is a roundtable discussion, please introduce each other. Let's have Murakami-san with Morfonia, Hirakawa-san with Hymeno, and Hasegawa-san with Rita."

Hirakawa: Hymeno Ran is the queen of Ishabana, she's a beautifully gorgeous, strong and cool woman. Also, she's very compassionate…

Hasegawa: (to Murakami, in a low voice) This is pretty embarrassing.

Murakami: It's not about me, it's about the role I play.

Hirakawa: …If there's someone in trouble, she'll always reach out to them. She's a person who focuses on what she wants to protect and the path she believes she should take, and then pushes forward toward that goal.

Murakami: Morfonia is the retainer for Gokkan's king, Rita Kaniska. She works together with Rita, but is a lazy slacker who hates her job.

Hasegawa: (staring intensely at Murakami)

Hirakawa: She's mad (laughs).

Murakami: She also says, "I'm going home" as soon as the work day is over, but when it comes to Rita, she can become alittle emotional, and she watches over Rita and can't leave them alone.

Hasegawa: Rita Kaniska is the king of Gokkan and the Supreme Court Justice…..wait, that's not right.

Hirakawa: The Chief Judge of the International Court of Justice

Hasegawa: Right, the Chief Judge of the International Court of Justice. It's hard just saying it out loud again (laughs). At a glance, they appear strong, dignified, and unmoved by anything, but they're probably the most human among all the members of the Royal Sentai, or rather, they have alot of weaknesses…..they're cute (laughs). At the start of the broadcast, Rita stubbornly insisted about being strong and being equal, but as they came into contact with the kings, Morfonia, and various other people, they learned how to rely on others. In a real sense, I think they're getting stronger.

Murakami: Amazing. It's like there's nothing you don't know about Rita.

Hasegawa: (laughs). I think Rita will become stronger in the future by showing more of their vulnerabilities, so I'd like to see Rita like that….I'm just saying what Morfonia is thinking! (laughs). Regardless, Rita is a wonderful person.

"Next, in regards to the other two, we'd like to hear about the similarities and differences between them and the character they play."

Hirakawa: Marie (Murakami) is as elegant as a princess in her gestures, speech and actions. Also, she's strong and cool. Although, she's not as selfish as Hymeno.

Murakami: Eh~?

Hirakawa: She seems to be very similar to Hymeno, but Marie likes to mess around more than I expected, so I guess that part's alittle different. You like talking with everyone, right?

Murakami: I like it.

Hirakawa: When Hymeno sees everyone messing around, I feel like she'd say something like, "How childish…"

Hasegawa: I wonder, does Hymeno want to be around where banter is going on?

Murakami: I think she'd be strong and say, "I don't want to join in." That's definitely the opposite of me.

Hirakawa: Marie has a playful side, and I think that the description of "cute" fits her well. In reality, I think she tends to be described as "cool."

Murakami: Things like, "She's just like a ViVi Model" and such? (*fashion magazine)

Hirakawa: That's right. Of course there are many cool things about her, but I get the impression that she has more of a cute side. Also, I wonder if Morfonia and Kasumin (Hasegawa) are the opposite. Or atleast, the exact opposite when it comes to work. She definitely doesn't have an attitude of not wanting to do anything.

Hasegawa: Well, it's work (laughs).

Hirakawa: Kasumin is older than me, but she speaks from my point of view, so it's easy to talk to her. I think Kasumin is alot like Morfonia in the sense that she adjusts to the people around her, not just with me. She goes at her own pace, and also feels "floaty," which is just like Morfonia.

Hasegawa: I recently learned that I'm a person who likes to go at my own pace (laughs). I didn't think that was the case….

Hirakawa: I basically go at my own pace, but I can adapt to others depending on the situation.

"Now then Murakami-san, we'd like to ask you about Hirakawa-san and Rita, and Hasegawa-san and Morfonia."

Murakami: Yuzuyan (Hirakawa) and Rita are similar in that they're both dignified and unafraid. Also, Rita is the unmovable king who is "quiet", but Yuzuyan is a "movable" person (laughs). In episode 28, Rita and Yanma's bodies were swapped, and Rita, who had Yanma's personality, was just Yuzuyan's usual self. I think that difference is also appealing.

Hirakawa: I'd agree that I'm "the king of hyperactivity." It's really true (laughs).

Murakami: Kasumin and Morfonia are similar in that they both end their words in cute ways. Morfonia says things like "Sow~wy" but Kasumin also says things like "I'm sor~ry" (in a cute way), and the way they speak is abit similar, they also share the same loose slurring of their speech. Like Yuzuyan said, the difference is that Morfonia doesn't take her work too seriously.

Hasegawa: Now then, it's my turn. Hirakawa Yuzuki is a person who has the mindset that she has to behave herself in front of others, and is thinking about alot of things in her head. I guess she's similar to Rita in that respect. The difference is that she's "movable" (laughs).

Murakami: You're right about that.

Hasegawa: The only time Hirakawa Yuzuki is calm is when she's sleeping in the dressing room. When she's not talking to anyone….

Hirakawa: Is there ever a time when I'm not talking?

Hasegawa: Not really I guess (laughs). And then there's Marie and Hymeno. It might just be my imagination, but I think Marie has a firm idea of what she wants to be and how she wants to live her life. Isn't it the same way with Hymeno? Another similarity is that they're both beautiful. Her gestures, or rather her movements are so beautiful! I'm not sure how to describe it…..

Hirakawa: Picturesque?

Hasegawa: Right! It's picturesque!

Murakami: Uw~ow, I love that~ (laughs).

Hasegawa: Me too~ (laughs). I think that they're similar in that way, and I think she's a perfect fit for the role of Hymeno. The difference is that, like Yuzuchin mentioned, when there's a lively gathering, Hymeno is like, "I won't get involved with that," while Marie is like, "Let me in! Let me in!"

Hirakawa: Marie is adorable.

Hasegawa: Yeah, she's cute. Similar to Hymeno, she's also kind and attentive. Hymeno tries to be strong and not let it show.

"Now, we'd like to know how you interpret what the character you're playing thinks about the other two characters. For example, Hirakawa-san, if you could tell us what Rita thinks about Hymeno and Morfonia."

Hirakawa: Rita sees Hymeno as the closest thing to a friend among all the kings. They can't say for sure yet that, "This person is my friend", but their relationship definitely isn't just that they're kings to each other. Compared to the beginning, they can tolerate Hymeno's selfish personality. At first, Rita didn't necessarily reject Hymeno's behavior, but they didn't even try to understand them. They didn't have enough interest in not only Hymeno, but all the kings to want to understand them. But now, their stance is that they want to understand her feelings. They've developed a sense of camaraderie with everyone, and among them, Hymeno has become the person they want to understand the most.

"In episode 30, Hymeno called them a "friend," how do you imagine Rita felt about that?"

Hirakawa: I think they were happy. Rita is stopped by Hymeno when they try to seal away Grodie, the enemy of Karras, former king of Gokkan, as well as Hymeno's parents. While I was acting, I had about a 5% feeling that I wanted someone to stop them. I think that Hymeno, who actually stopped them, became a very special person, different from Morfonia. And since sealing him would freeze Rita as well, it can be said that she saved their life. After Hymeno stopped Rita, she told them, "(about Grodie) We'll defeat him. We'll do it together." Having someone who says, "Together," must be a great source of support for Rita.

"Regarding Morfonia, you previously said in the interview for "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Character Book: We're KING!!!!!!" that "For someone who finds their work to be a bother, she's a hard worker," but what about now?"

Hirakawa: Lately, Rita doesn't suppress their emotions so much in front of Morfonia anymore. They used to feel that they had to behave properly in front of Morfonia, that they couldn't let their retainer see them acting strange, but now I think they seem to recognize her as their partner. She has the utmost trust in Rita, that she will not leave their side no matter what, and that she will believe in Rita, even if they're accused of committing a crime

"Murakami-san, what do you think the two of them are like from Hymeno's point of view?"

Murakami: Hymeno's very excited that they recognize her as their friend.

Hirakawa: Are you also excited?

Murakami: Yeah. Because they're Hymeno's first friend. Hymeno lost her parents when she was young and became queen, and I don't think she had anyone she could talk to as an equal, but Rita is able to express their opinions to her. I think the reason why she invited Rita to tea in episode 30 was because she was excited that Rita, who she considers her first friend, came all the way to Ishabana. Rita's presence in Hymeno's life has grown, and a childlike feeling of happiness is building up inside her. Until now, Rita was just one of the kings, but now that they have a common enemy, they've grown closer and have become friends. I think this is a very happy relationship for Hymeno. I think Morfonia is recognized as an understanding person who is with Rita all the time, who as a friend, helps improve Rita's well being. There's a scene in episode 38 when Rita was having an idol audition, and although Hymeno doesn't often talk with the other members of the royal entourage, she was having a normal conversation with Morfonia as an equal. Hymeno was able to do that because she knows that she's a good and understanding friend. She probably met her more than other members of the king's entourage, and I think that in Hymeno's mind, Morfonia is a friend of a friend.

"On the other hand, How does Morfonia view Rita?"

Hasegawa: It's possible that she doesn't view Rita as a king. Her feelings are of parental love, rather than loyalty. They're just so cute that she can't stand it. Yuzuchin said that Morfonia would always be on Rita's side, which is the same as how I feel regarding my own parents. Of course, they're not a child (laughs), but they're her work partner, and is someone she wants to watch over all the time.

"Morfonia is also Rita's potential successor, so the relationship between the king and their retainer is quite different from that of the other countries. Gokkan has practically no people to rule over."

Hirakawa: If you think about it, it's only just the two of them.

Hasegawa: That's true.

Hirakawa: They're in a situation where they have no one to rely on but each other.

"How does Morfonia view Hymeno, the king of another country?"

Hasegawa: My own interpretation is that at first Hymeno was just like the other kings, and Morfonia honestly didn't care about her (laugh). However, when she found out that Hymeno was someone who understood Rita and became their friend, she felt happy, but she also felt like she couldn't let go of her feelings and be too pleased about it. It's kind of like the loneliness you feel when your child is about to leave your care…..But, while Hymeno may look like a selfish and troublesome person at first glance, she is in fact a kind and gentle person who is always looking out for those around her. If such a person were standing beside Rita and stirring them up, it would make Rita feel more human, and that they could live an easier life. In fact, I think they'd probably feel grateful.

"When performing with the people here, do you have any discussions about your performance or anything you need to be careful about?"

Murakami: When I'm in a scene with Yuzuyan, I try to clearly tell her, "Your spot is over here, and I'm right here." Yuzuyan's face is mostly hidden due to her costume and makeup, so her visibility is poor….Even in the scene in episode 36 where we did ballroom dancing, I said, "My hand's here. Don't worry, I'll move first."

Hirakawa: It's not just about having a performance plan, it's simply that I can't see (laughs). Even when we danced, I couldn't see her, so I had to remember her position before I could hold her hand.

Murakami: But, the only thing we talk about before acting is confirming those moves. I almost never have meetings related to acting. We both perform with what we have, and I think that brings out the best in each of us and has created the relationship we have now.

Hirakawa: The kings are just a clash of personalities, aren't they? That's why when we start talking, we all get together, or rather, we get strangely grouped together. I think it'd be better if the kings just expressed their own ideas instead of talking to each other, giving the impression that the kings were doing whatever they wanted. If we talk and try to get closer, then maybe…

Murakami: It wouldn't be interesting. We only talked about each other's roles during the body swap episode (episode 28). That episode was a great opportunity for me to learn things about each character that I didn't know before.

Hasegawa: Yuzuchin and I would talk alittle before shooting a scene between Morfonia and Rita. We both think alot about what kind of performance we want to do, and then we talk about it and make sure we have the same understanding.

Hirakawa: Ultimately, the understanding of what we want to do and what we want to convey in the scene has to align.

Hasegawa: Just don't go overboard……

Hirakawa: We're on the borderline

Hasegawa: Yeah. I remember having to decide for some important scenes.

Hirakawa: In episodes 10 and 25, regarding the scenes with just Rita and Morfonia, I'd say, "I'm thinking of doing it this way, but what about you Kasumin?" We tried it once, and if it wasn't right, we'd come to a good compromise. We also talked about the kabedon scene in episode 25. Morfonia's trying to escape from Rita's room, and at first Rita grabbed her arm and tried to hold her back, but then I thought, "Rita doesn't pull people's arms, do they?" I thought that if they did, it would give the impression that she was used to being restrained.

Hasegawa: We talked about how it'd be better if they were more clumsy.

Hirakawa: I wanted to express Rita's clumsiness due to their lack of human relationships, but I also wanted it to look cute. As a result, they ended up doing a kabedon.

Hasegawa: However, we don't always talk about the performance in detail.

Hirakawa: We don't talk about specifics like, "Let's do this at this moment," but rather about the nuance of matching the groove. When we need to pay attention to our movements, we communicate specifically to each other. Things like, "I'm going to put my hand here when I hit the wall, so be careful."

Hasegawa: For the kabedon scene, the staff behind the wall were trying to keep it together (laughs).

Murakami: They were holding back! The only scenes involving Hymeno and Morfonia was in episode 38, where they had a conversation, but that was about it…..

Hasegawa: I'd like to talk to you alittle more.

Murakami: I think I could if there was a time to visit Rita. Maybe Hymeno would ask Morfonia, "Prepare some tea" and she would respond in a slightly disgruntled voice, "Eh~?" (laughs).

Hasegawa: (in Morfonia's voice) "Is cocoa okay~?"

Murakami: (in Hymeno's voice) "Ishabana has black tea, but Gokkan's tea time is cocoa, huh? Hmmm~"

Hirakawa: I started this (laughs).

"We'd like to ask about any particularly memorable moments or scenes so far."

Hirakawa: I liked episode 10.

Hasegawa: Me too. There's the scene where Morfonia says, "I want to be with you," through the giant Moffun plushie.

Hirakawa: Rita was vulnerable for the first time…..

Hasegawa: Morfonia also stepped into Rita's mind for the first time.

Hirakawa: We were both still getting a feel for each other, but it was the moment when we tried to come out of our shells by telling each other how we really felt, and it was also the moment when our relationship started to change. After filming episode 10, Kasumin and I became closer.

Murakami: As I said before, Hymeno and Morfonia don't really interact, so it's hard to name any memorable scenes…I'd like a scene together with Morfonia by Takamina Sensei (screenwritter Takano Minato). Please! (laughs). I think episode 16 is the one that left an impression on me due to the interaction between Hymeno and Rita. Rita turned to Hymeno to get to the bottom of the murder of Karras, Rita's former king, from 15 years prior. Hymeno is a king who's full of hospitality as a doctor, so she's very happy when asked to do something for them. Furthermore, it was a big deal for Hymeno to be trusted by an equal king, and from there, she and Rita started working together to get to the root of the incident. After the truth was revealed, there's a scene at the end where Hymeno gave Rita a rare good called the "Chibi Moffun Premium," and I think that was the beginning of Hymeno's excited state of mind (laughs).

Hirakawa: She was so excited when she left the Chibi Moffun in front of Rita's room.

Murakami: She was so excited. It was her first time making a friend, so she couldn't help but be happy.

Hasegawa: That scene was great. Rita really wants the Chibi Moffun Premium, but they refused with, "I'm neutral," and won't accept the gift, so Hymeno tells them, "Then throw it away. It's garbage. It doesn't matter what you do with garbage, right?" and then leaves. Then, Rita accepts the gift and mumbles, "Thank you." I thought that Rita's understanding person had appeared.

Murakami: I'd say it was Hymeno's forceful kindness, knowing that Rita wouldn't accept it as a gift. In episode 3, which was Hymeno's main episode, there were multiple scenes where this forceful kindness is shown, and even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface, Hymeno often acts with the other person in mind. On the other hand, there's something about Rita that makes her want to do something for them, and that builds up from episode 16. In episode 30, Rita comes to Ishabana again, and they interact by inviting them to tea. As they deepened their relationship, Rita's presence within Hymeno grew. In episode 38, she was so moved by Rita's stage presence that she cried and cheered for them.

Hirakawa: That episode was amazing. The script said something like, "Rita will perform a spectacular dance," and for that one line, we had to put together a large set and have a large number of extras gather…..They filmed with four cameras, which is quite alot.

Hasegawa: We usually use alot of green screen, so it's normally one camera!

Hirakawa: I was nervous when I heard voices saying "Camera's rolling" from four different places~!

Murakami: It was much bigger than I had imagined from reading the script, and I got the sense that this is what happens when adults get serious. Going back to Hymeno in that episode, she thought Rita's dream was to become an idol and said, "I'll be the producer, you be the idol!" She can't leave Rita alone, so in true Hymeno fashion, she tries to drag Rita along in the way she wants. I think that kind of uniqueness to Hymeno came out.

Hasegawa: The ending of that episode made me happy. There's a scene where Morfonia says to Rita, "I think it's okay to be yourself in front of your friends."

Hirakawa: It was also good that there was some adlibbing. In the script, it ends with Morfonia saying "I…I like you," but Rita didn't hear it, so they said, "You were just complaining, right?," to which she replied, "It's okay if you didn't hear."

Hasegawa: It was a nice scene. Gokkan looked warm.

"Let's also ask a question unrelated to your roles. You've been calling each other by your nicknames for awhile now, but what do you usually call each other?"

Murakami: I'm often called "Marie" on set, as well as from these two. I call Hirakawa-san "Yuzuyan."

Hasegawa: I call Hirakawa-san "Yuzuchin."

Hirakawa: Hasegawa-san is "Kasumin."

Hasegawa: At the beginning of filming, when the three of us were in the dressing room, I remember asking, "What would you like to be called?"

Hirakawa: That's right! At that time, I was already calling Murakami-san Marie.

Hasegawa: I said, "Who's Marie?" (laughs). From then on, I also called her Marie.

Hirakawa: I also asked Hasegawa-san, "What should I call you?" and she said, "People often call me Kasumin," so I decided I'd call her that too.

Murakami: When we first met, I called you "Yuzuki-chan." I think I said, "Yuzuki-chan, you're good at remembering directions."

Hirakawa: I also used "Erica-chan"! Uwah…..it doesn't feel right anymore (laughs). It feels like, "Wow"

Murakami: It's nostalgic (laughs).

"We'd like to know about any unexpected aspects of the other two that you've discovered between photo shoots or in your private life."

Hirakawa: Since we're always together, we have a common understanding.

Hasegawa: Ummm~, Hirakawa Yuzuki actually likes glasses.

Hirakawa: I love them!

Hasegawa: Those who know me know that I like glasses, but Yuzuchin also likes them.

Hirakawa: When Marie makes a joke, she gives a look that says, "I'm going to make a joke now, so please laugh."

Murakami: Ah~! I only get silly in front of people like Kaku-san, who definitely pick up my jokes (laughs). Yuzuyan will also definitely respond to them. She accepts them so willingly, that I end up getting carried away. For Kasumi-san, there was something strange in the book she was reading the other day. It was called "The Complete History of Sapiens."

Hasegawa: Ao-tan, who plays Yanma, told me, "It's interesting."

Murakami: The fans probably didn't know that we're reading such books, huh?

Hirakawa: Ah! Speaking of Kasumin, she really likes patterned items, like on clothes and such.

Hasegawa: That's true, I might have alot of things.

Hirakawa: You also like embroidery, don't you?

Hasegawa: I love embroidery! The cushions in my house have embroidery on them. I never thought about it until you mentioned it.

"Finally, we'd like to get a title suggestion for this Character Book."

Murakami: "Moffun and the Delightful Friends"?

Hirakawa: "The Bonds Connected by Moffun"

Hasegawa: That's good, that's good! We didn't take any pictures with him, but it looks like Racules will be making an appearance, so "Racules" should also be included.

Murakami: The relationship between these three people is centered around Rita.

Hirakawa: Then, how about, "The Miracle Connected by Rita"?……I thought about it, but it's not a good idea not to include the names of Hymeno and Morfonia.

Hasegawa: I hope it can give off a feeling of taking a step towards friendship.

Hirakawa: I think we've given you alot of hints, so please come up with a great title! (laughs).

Kaku So x Kamura Mami x Masato Yano

"Since this is the long awaited roundtable discussion, please introduce yourself with a role that you're not playing. We've prepared a lottery with the names of all the characters, so please draw and tell us about the role written on it."

Kaku: I got…..Racules? If I were to describe with one saying the character of Racules Husty, played by Yano-chan, it'd be that he's charismatically evil.

Kamura: Oh~ (applauding).

Kaku: His fans are extremely enthusiastic, which is understandable. When he makes an appearance, the atmosphere changes. Viewers often say, "It gives off the atmosphere of a night time drama." I get the impression that he spices up and enhances this production.

Yano: That makes me happy! Now, I'll introduce Suzume Dybowski. She's the cute younger sister of Kaguragi Dybowski and is also a schemer. Also, in episode 20, there was the wedding scene with Racules, and I thought that wedding dress looked really good on her.

Kamura: Yay~! (laughs).

Yano: Suzume said she liked Racules in the first chapter (episodes 1-26), but behind the scenes she was working for Kaguragi, I also wasn't sure, did she really have feelings for Racules or not? However, in the second chapter, there are many depictions that make you feel that it's real love. The scenes involving Racules and Suzume are always abit embarrassing for me, like when we look at each other (laughs).

Kamura: Next, I'll introduce Kaguragi. He's the lord of Toufu, but you can say he's a character in the gray area…..

Kaku: He's not very hero like (laughs).

Kamura: Right, there's a reverse side. But, he loves his sister, and he loves Toufu. He's a very cool king who dirties himself and lies for the sake of his country.

Kaku: Thank you so much.

Kamura: It's wonderful that he's able to tell lies and keep with it. King-Ohger is a show for children, and perhaps it should be portrayed that it's not good to lie. But, everything he does is for the good of the country and his people, and there's no lie in that. I like that he has a strong core and doesn't hesitate. Lying is part of being a "man" that ultimately makes them feel cool.

"Next, regarding the other two, please tell us about the differences and similarities between their role and themselves."

Kaku: Yano-chan is a very playful person. We joke around with each other between takes. He's also very funny. That's one of the things that separate him from Racules.

Yano: There are times when I feel like I'm just screwing around (laughs). If I only give off the impression of my role, people will think I'm a scary person.

Kaku: Suzume is the opposite of Racules, and is always smiling, which is something she shares with Kamura-san. But, you're not a schemer, right?

Kamura: I'm not (laughs).

Yano: I don't know. A schemer wouldn't admit, "I'm a schemer" (laughs). But my intuition tells me that Kamura-san and Suzume are close. (to Kamura) What do you think about Kaguragi and Kakkun (Kaku)?

Kamura: I wonder…(thinks for a moment). As her older brother, Kaguragi is always kind to Suzume-chan. I think they're similar. I think there's a sense of security.

Kaku: The only time Kaguragi shows real kindness is when it comes to Suzume. He always seems to be thinking about how to trick other people.

"Kamura-san, do you think there are any similarities between Yano-san and Racules?"

Kamura: Any similarities…

Yano: Well, it's a difficult question because you probably don't even know that much about what kind of person Masato Yano usually is.

Kamura: That's true, I don't really know Yano-san that well privately.

Kaku: All three of us, Chiwata Yuhei-kun, who plays Shiokara, and Hasegawa Kasumi-san, who plays Morfonia, all cast members in our 30s, went out to eat wanko soba (small bowls of soba eaten quickly, is immediately refilled, and repeated).

"Wanko soba?!"

Yano: That's the kind of reaction we get (laughs). It's not simply, "We went out to eat soba."

Kamura: I'm from Iwate Prefecture, so a conversation started of, "What kind of specialties are from there?"

Kaku: We were all excited saying, "Wanko soba is famous," "I've never had it before" and "Alright, let's go everyone!" That day, we ate wanko soba, walked around Yokohama Chinatown, and had our fortunes told.

Yano: I didn't enjoy it properly. I ate way too much wanko soba… (laughs).

Kaku & Kamura: (laughs).

Yano: My stomach was so full I couldn't think straight. I think I ate about 130 bowls. Kakkun ate about 150 bowls, right?

Kaku: I could've eaten more if I wanted to, and I was totally fine! That was a fun day. It's become a good memory.

"From Yano-san's point of view, do you see any similarities between Kaku-san, Kamura-san and the characters they play?"

Yano: Kaguragi's alittle scary, and I don't know what he's thinking behind that smile. But, is Kakkun easy to understand? (laughs). I think it shows on his face. Also, Kaguragi is kind only to Suzume, but Kakkun is kind to everyone. As for Kamura-san, I don't really know what kind of person she is, but I thought she wasn't that far off from Suzume…but now that I look at her face, I don't recognize her anymore.

Kamura: Eh? Why's that?

Yano: No, I think it resembles Suzume after all. Kamura-san is always smiling, just like Suzume, but I don't know what she's actually thinking (laughs).

"Continuing, we'd like to ask you about your perception of each other's characters. First, how do you think Kaguragi sees Racules?"

Kaku: At this point in time, there are some things I don't understand either. Racules, who was thought to have died after falling off a cliff in episode 20, reappeared in episode 34, but in reality, I'm wondering if Kaguragi actually knew that Racules was alive and had been colluding with him all along or not.

Yano: I'm definitely curious.

Kaku: Even in the interactions between the two of them so far, it's not clear how far in advance their actions were based. In the beginning, I thought that Kaguragi was playing political games with Racules for Toufu's sake, but I have a strong feeling that it's not the only reason. Furthermore, I was also aware that Suzume's love for Racules was just her acting for the sake of the country, but as the episode progressed, I came to believe that she was serious (laughs). I think Kaguragi's feelings are that he's shocked because she's his precious little sister, and he hates the idea of Racules and Suzume getting married, but he also wants to congratulate them. I can't help but feel that his feelings are similar to those of a father watching over his daughter who is about to get married.

Kamura: Fa~ther!

"Yano-san, what do you think Racules thinks about Kaguragi and Suzume? By the way, do you know what will happen next?"

Yano: Somewhat……

Kamura: Hmmm?~

Kaku: (in a monotone voice) What's gonna happen?

Yano: No, no, I can't say (laughs).

Kaku: You always keep your lips sealed.

Yano: People tend to say that, but the more I say, "I don't know," the more they think I definitely know (laughs).

Kaku: Maybe it's because of the way you sometimes smile with a sence of sarcasm? When I asked him if he knows what'll happen, he says, "No, I don't know. How much do you know?" When I replied, "I heard this happens," he replied, (with a blank expression) "Ah, I see" (laughs). I think Yano-chan probably knows what's going on!

Yano: But I really didn't know anything about Suzume either. When I was told that although he was holding Kaguragi's sister hostage, she was officially his fiancee, I was surprised and said, "They're getting married?!" (laughs). I often act without knowing what'll happen next. Come to think of it, the ring that Racules put on Suzume's left ring finger in episode 20 was actually important.

Kamura: It's a key item!

Kaku: Was that a calculated move by Racules in anticipation for the future?

Kamura: When we were filming the wedding, Yano-san said, "Isn't this ring pretty important? I said, "Absolutely not!" But, in the end, it turned out just as Yano-san predicted (laughs).

"The ring was an important item, since it was thanks to it that the kings were able to return to Chikyu from Earth. What does Racules, who entrusted the ring to her, think about Suzume? Is there actually love…?

Kamura: I want to hear it!

Kaku: What does he think of my Suzume?!

Yano: I don't think he dislikes her. Well, I don't know if Racules has feelings to like people or not…

Kaku: It sounds like you're thinking if he's qualified to love someone.

Yano: There were also opinions on SNS that he may have been drawn towards Vedalia, who appeared in the spin off drama "The Secret of King Racules" currently being distributed on YouTube, and was working at Shugoddam's research institute…but what do you think? In the future, I think it'll be an interesting point to see how Racules interacts with various people, including Suzume.

Kaku: I wish he was alittle more "lovey dovey."

Kamura: I know, right~

Yano: But, in episode 22, there's a flashback scene where Suzume sleeps on a futon in front of Racules's throne. Maybe it's Racules's way of expressing his love for her that he's allowing that behavior. If he felt it was a nuisance, all he had to do was order someone to, "Take her away."

"It was interesting that Suzume described that scene as a "bedtime story." Kamura-san, what do you think Suzume thinks of Racules and Kaguragi?"

Kamura: When I was given the role of Suzume, I was told that she loves her brother, the country of Toufu, and that she doesn't dislike Racules. At first, that was my intention, but as I played the role more and more, I began to think, "I love Racules!" (laughs). There are similarities between Racules and Kaguragi, so it's not surprising that Suzume loves them. I'm not sure if what's in Racules's heart has been revealed yet though. On the other hand, although she still loves her brother, I think Suzume also thinks that working with Racles will ultimately benefit her brother.

"Kaguragi, Suzume and Racules all have alot of suspenseful scenes where they're trying to expose each other, but is there anything you keep in mind when performing together in confrontational scenes?"

Kaku: For scenes with Racules, I try to be conscious of overacting when I'm bluffing, and dropping my tone when I'm talking about something more serious. Also, I try to look as cool as possible! (laughs).

Kamura: You're so cool! The atmosphere between the two of us is different, isn't it?

Kaku: I try to make scenes with Suzume look as humorous as possible, as it's funny to see Kaguragi being pushed around. There's a scene in episode 15 where Suzume says, "I love you, Racules-sama!" and Kaguragi begins to hyperventilate. It wasn't written in the script, but I thought it'd be funnier if I played my character in such a stressed state. I think he feels that way because he dotes on his little sister. I enjoy the scenes with Suzume because I can have fun with her.

Yano: I don't have a specific plan for what I do, but I want scenes with Kaguragi to have some "weight" to them in the work of King-Ohger. Also, the scenes where I interact with Kakkun I can really feel emotionally. There are many scenes with Gira, but Taisei Sakai, who plays Gira, is still young, so I have a strong desire to watch over him and take him under my wings. But, when I'm performing with Kakkun, I have a sense of trust that no matter what I toss at him, he'll always react, so I can concentrate everything into the performance.

Kaku: (has a satisfied smile on his face)

Yano: (looks at Kaku) A smile of satisfaction!

Kamura: It really is a satisfied smile (laughs). What I pay attention to…I often have to worry about my brother and Racules, so I guess I'm just trying to, "Give it my all!"

Kaku: We need to raise the tension

Kamura: In episode 15, the first time I participated in filming, I was so close to Racules that I was hugging him. At that time, I really felt like my heart was going to jump out of my mouth (laughs).

Yano: You were nervous. You also had alot of lines.

Kamura: I was under alot of pressure on the first day. But I knew I couldn't give up, so I just gave it my all.

Yano: I thought it must've been difficult, but I was desperately trying to hold back my laughter (laughs). Just the thought of, "Suzume is approaching me, and getting closer!" is funny….

Kamura: Moreover, on the first day, we were filming on a set. Usually we film with a green screen background because of the CG.

Yano: Unlike the openness of a green screen, the space on set was cramped.

Kamura: That may be why I felt a difference in atmosphere on the set, which made me even more nervous. When we finished filming, I was drenched in sweat.

Yano: I see. I wish I could have helped you relax more.

Kamura: But, it was also the first time for me to hug someone I'd never met before, so it was good experience. In the scenes with Kaguragi, I still give it my all, but sometimes Suzume acts like a queen, and at those times I was instructed not to be too harsh and to act cute. So, I try to keep that in mind.

Yano: For me, I'm on the verge of grinning during scenes with Suzume. It's funny, but it's also really embarrassing. Doesn't Suzume just give off the feeling of, "Racules-sama~❤️"? When I play Racules, I get the feeling that he's apart of me, but that Racules is embarrassed.

Kaku: Racules is also shy.

Yano: "It's not Racules-sama, don't call me Racules-sama or anything like that…" (laughs).

Kamura: How cute~!

Yano: The scene where I put your ring on during the wedding almost made me start grinning (laughs).

Kaku: You did your best to endure it, huh?

Yano: I wish I could interact with Suzume in a less serious situation…

Kamura: Yeah~ I think it'd be fun.

Yano: The scene mentioned earlier where she sleeps in front of the throne was also fun. When I play the role of Racules, my shoulders tense up and I get tired, so I tend to act out when the cameras aren't rolling. I make alot of strange faces on set (laughs).

Kaku: It's true, even while we were getting ready, the cameras were rolling, and when we looked into the monitor, we could see him making strange faces (laughs).

Yano: I have to mess around to maintain a balance. That's why I hope there'll be more funny scenes with Suzume.

Kamura: On the contrary, Suzume always has alot of funny scenes, so I was nervous about the Toufu scenes in episode 37. This was the first time in this production where all the scenes involved were serious, so I wondered, "Am I doing the right thing?"

"Looking back on the past, please tell us about any scenes with either all three, or just two of you, that left a particularly strong impression on you."

Yano: It has to be the first time all three of us filmed together…

Kamura: Episode 15 right? I really liked that one!

Kaku: But, is that the only scene where the three of us were together?

Yano: There was also the three of us at the wedding ceremony. Although it wasn't all three, the scene where Racules and Kaguragi talk about Suzume for the first time left an impression on me.

Kaku: Ah, episode 12.

Yano: I like that scene, where they stood back to back and talked without looking at each other. When Kaguragi was reporting to Racules about Jeramie, who was still a mystery at the time, the subject of Suzume came up, and Kaguragi changed his tone of voice and asked, "Is Suzume doing well?" Racules replied, "Of course. But, depending on your attitude, that could change."

Kaku: I'm sure the viewers were surprised with, "Kaguragi has a younger sister, and she's also being held hostage by Racules?!"

Yano: I was surprised too (laughs). I remember thinking that her name sounded like the bird (sparrow). I later realized that it comes from the vespinae wasp.

Kamura: How interesting~ (laughs).

Yano: When we were filming that scene, everyone was wondering who would play Suzume, even though she would eventually make her appearance.

Kamura: I see!

Kaku: She made her first appearance in episode 15, where she suddenly hugs Racules…But, there's also the scene where she vows, "Let us dirty our hands together and defend Toufu. Brother!" She is indeed Kaguragi's sister, and she showed that she's not crazy about love, but is committed to her country.

Kamura: I really liked the part in episode 18, where Kaguragi appears in front of Racules and takes the OhgerLance and OhgerCrown. It was an intense development that revealed all the foreshadowing of Kaguragi's actions.

Kaku: Toufu's theme song, "It's a Banquet Ohger!" was playing. In episode 18, it was funny to see Kaguragi squeak "Gii Gii" when Suzume orders him with, "Show your respect for Racules-sama and pretend to be a rhino beetle."

Yano: I've seen alot of onomatopoeia in the scripts, like "Gii Gii." Especially recently, they seem to be getting more and more frequent…I guess screenwriter Takamina-san likes them.

"Do you have a favorite line as Suzume?"

Kamura: What would it be…..

Yano: I always have the image of her saying, "Racules-sama~❤️"

Kamura: Well then, "Racules-sama~❤️" it is (laughs). Just now, I thought of the scene in episode 33, where Suzume sticks the Ohger CrownLance under the floor of the throne to move Caucasuskabuto Castle. I like the line, "If that is your will, I'll make it all come true!" because it shows that she's determined. Especially since there's always so many comedic scenes.

"Kamura-san and Yano-san seem to be especially interested in doing funny scenes, but are there any scenes that the three of you would like to do in the future?"

Yano: I really want to do something comedic. You want to play around too, right?

Kamura: I want to, even if it's in a spinoff!

Yano: If we can joke around there, we might not have anything to say off camera (laughs). Also, a scene of Racules being bullied by Kaguragi and Suzume…that'd be good. He'd keep being served food endlessly and forced to eat. His body would swell up and he wouldn't be able to arm himself with the royal armor (laughs).

Kamura: That's good. I want to see it, right now!

"Kamura-san, are you interested in trying action scenes?"

Kamura: No, I'm afraid I'll just be an inconvenience…(bitter smile)

Yano: Kamura-san, you can move, can't you?

Kaku: However, it seems it'd be difficult since Suzume's costume is a kimono.

Kamura: That's right. However, in episode 15, I was about to pull a katana out of its sheath, so I thought there might be a scene where she'd do something with the katana when the time came, but so far nothing's happened.

Kaku: That katana, I was wondering if it had been passed down in the Dybowski family from generation to generation, but I guess not?

Yano: I wonder if there'll be a scene where Suzume slashes at Racules with that katana.

Kaku: Racules hasn't had any action scenes since episode 20. It can't be helped that he left the show at the time of that episode…

Yano: That's why I'm looking forward to seeing future action scenes where he doesn't transform. I think a sword fight with Gira will happen someday, and I think Sakai is getting better at it.

Kaku: In episodes 32 and 33, I experienced the production directed by Sakamoto Koichi, who's famous for his action direction.

Yano: Watching those two episodes, I was impressed with how well Sakai could move. In the scene in episode 20, where he confronts Racules in the trial by combat, it looked like he was having a hard time with some of the moves he wasn't good at. I co starred with Sakai in the drama "Shinyu wa Akujo" which was also his debut work, and right after that we started filming in King-Ohger, so we've been on the same set for a long time. I've been watching over him for about a year now, and he seems to be growing properly.

"As a viewer, I feel like I'd love to see Racules fight alongside someone."

Yano: That'd be nice. I'd love to fight with Gira for a given reason, or Kaguragi, with our backs against each other.

Kamura: It'd be cool if that happens.

Yano: It'd also be nice to see Kaguragi and Suzume get involved in the action scenes. Suzume would be fighting with a katana, but when she finds herself in a pinch, Kaguragi comes tackling in to help.

Kaku: It's not hard to imagine Kaguragi springing into action and saying, "What are you doing to my little sister?!" (laughs).

"We'd like to ask you about your private lives. Are there any aspects that only the other knows?"

Kaku: Yano-chan has been working hard on muscle training to gain weight. After losing weight for another production, he's not just trying to gain the weight back, he's trying to gain it back with muscle.

Yano: I lost around 10 kg (23 lbs)…..

Kaku: To be honest, he's quite macho. I do strength training myself, and I have a set menu made that'd surprise you.

Kamura: I don't know if I'm allowed to say this…

Yano: Is it something bad? (laughs).

Kamura: I'll say it! There's the cast's LINE group, and Yano-san sends us some playful photos (laughs).

Kaku: That's right! Seeing them, I think he must be bored on set. Yano-chan often films alone.

"In response, the general reaction was…"

Yano: They don't check them often. It makes me think that the kids of today aren't interested (laughs). As for Sakai, he probably hasn't even seen them. During this time, I contacted Sakai and asked, "Are you free?" I thought I'd invite him to dinner if he had time. Then, I received a reply saying, "Please invite me again." (Japanese gesture often used to decline a date)

Kamura: You're kidding?!

Yano: There was no, "I'm in the middle of filming right now" or anything like that. Even though I didn't say, "I love you" I feel like I was dumped…..

Kaku: He can be direct, so it's a shame that we understood his response (laughs).

Yano: Oh yeah, I'd love to mention this too, when I film alone, Kamura-san also stays behind to watch over me.

Kamura: But, the other day, I stayed behind thinking that there was just one more shot left, but then I realized I was wrong and said, "Ah, there's still more filming to do? Well then, I'm going home" (laughs).

Yano: At that time, Morioka Yutaka-san, who plays the role of Douga, was also there, and I overheard him saying, "Yano-chan, you're almost done, so I'll watch over you until you've finished." Then, just one minute later, he started leaving and said, "Good work today!" I was surprised and said, "Eh?!" (laughs).

Kaku: (laughs). In the show, we have a very tense relationship, but we get along well when filming! Please look forward to the second chapter!!

[emo-nova]

Update time for some good ol' Teen Wolf, ig? i'm on episode 7 of season 2, and now I am definitely seeing some clips that i saw that was making me interested in the show as well as aspects within the fandom spaces.

Never understood the whole idea of Pack mom Stiles thing until I saw Stiles basically be the first to clock that 1, she is in seizure, 2, she may have an issue with the kanima venom (more than others) and 3, to be able to help her he needs to go to Derek cause Scott defo doesn't know. I didn't see it in the beginning, but I can see what people are seeing in it.

Another aspect, Stiles predicting Matt as the villain was such a rewarding scene. Mainly because I have been spoiled, I don't mind them, sometimes I actively look for them to see how the writers handle certain characters plus a summary isn't always true to what actually happened depending on interpretations.

You know what wasn't? Stiles' dad not being told. Or Melissa. Can these two be in on it now? Please? I'm mildly done with the charades on both ends mainly because the friction between two parties is simply miscommunication, plus it would be interesting to have Stiles' be open to this now so that we can see more of a struggle for the Stilinski family when the Sheriff *carries on* heading into danger when he knows. Same with Melissa, I think it would help create more stakes, but it will needed to be handled with care, that she can notice when a patient might have been involved with the supernatural which she can tell the sheriff. It'll make a good feedback loop for the adults, me thinks.

Onto Scott and Alison, I am noticing the writers are now ramping up a more heaviness to their relationship. This is no longer about puppy love but genuine wanting to carry on together, on both ends. And the touch with Jackson being used as the mouthpiece of the writers to foreshadow something more sinister lurking within Alison's future and her decisions. I honestly can not wait for Alison's either degression or progression as a character, as an aspiring writer who likes to study stories of any kind, I would have her digress to create a more nuance version of her character especially with her and Scott creating friction between each other. The friction I'm talking about is Alison's fear of being truly hopeless, unable to actually help herself out of a situation, this could be due to her being raised to be independent and to be a leader within the Argents. Scott on the other hand has a total Hero Complex, wanting to save as many people as possible, yada yada (mild affection now, he's grown on me), wants to be there for Alison *always* which contradicts Alison's want of independence.

Derek, so far, has been following a characterisation I would do for him (after that abysmal training set) cautious and careful with his betas, almost paranoid about their safety with mild disregard for his own in time of the full moon. I would like to see more Boyd though, you have an entire episode on him, and he doesn't get to appear in that scene??? BS, I want Boyd, Erica and Isaac have a moment of annoyance at Derek for being so careful with them. Would I have Derek explain to them why he's so cautious? Not fully, no, I would have Derek explain simply "I am your leader, I look after you and train you. And I need to look after you by ensuring you don't get caught between the Kamina and the Hunters."

Let Derek be a vague, paranoidly responsible Alpha that noticed that his first method didn't help for shit and changing the curriculum for these three because Scott's training was a *mess* and not some fucking dictator alpha guy. But knowing the writing team they most likely will mishandle Derek's character like a child given a machete in the garden which is disappointing.

That's all I got so far, but enjoy my ranting about what happened so far.

Also thank you to the kind soul that told me the timeline of season 1 and 2, I didn't realise that it was such short periods of time! Thank you again :)

[aphrogeneias]

for the birthday girl —

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

warnings: fluff, sweet like birthday cake. beware of cavities.

The living room still smells of burning candles when everyone leaves.

There's a pack of unevenly shuffled cards on the table, near the half-eaten birthday cake. If you listened closely, laughter still echoed through the walls of the apartment, remnants of a happy night in the company of your dearest friends.

There's peace in the silence that is left over.

After you said your last goodbyes at the door, you'd been relegated to the couch, still wearing the silly bejeweled plastic crown Erica brought and insisted you'd use it — “for the birthday girl, duh.” — and a blanket over your exposed legs, not yet wanting to take off your new dress.

You listen to the one who'd insisted you sat down while they were in the kitchen. Eddie took your shoes off before setting a knitted blanket down over you, and while you tried to argue that, technically, it was past midnight and your birthday privileges could be revoked, he refused to listen.

Such a stubborn boyfriend you have, but you tend to not complain when it benefits you like this.

Eventually, the silence of the living room grows weary, and you stand to seek the company of the boy moving through the kitchen. Your barefoot steps barely make any noise as you approach him, with his back to you, facing the sink.

As if he hadn't spent all day in this very room, baking and decorating his very first birthday cake, until he realized he got too excited and messed up the recipe, having to ask Dustin to bring one from the store on his way here.

You'd spent the afternoon eating the icing, and you made him promise to not worry himself too much anymore — but here he is.

The sleeves of his shirt are pulled back to his elbows, showing off his inked forearms, wet from the dishes he's just finishing. His back is just as inviting as his arms as you wrap your arms around his lean waist, nuzzling yourself between his shoulder blades, and breathing him in.

It smells, and feels, like home.

“Thought I'd told you to stay put.” There's nothing but affection, and perhaps a little bit of amusement, in his voice.

“Don't want to.” You mumble with your cheek smushed to his warm back and the worn cotton of his long-sleeved shirt. “Missed you.”

“I was just in the other room.” His body vibrates with his chuckle, and you feel it go through him. Squeezing your arms around him, you let out a laugh too when he whispers, “Needy.”

“You love it.”

The two of you stay this way for a while, your hands travelling under his shirt, feeling the scarred skin of his sides and tummy beneath your fingertips — a reminder of the gift that is him, standing next to you for another year — until he finishes doing the dishes, and without drying his hands, turns to you. He takes your face in his wet hands, then, already chuckling at your protests, “Ugh, no!”

Water drips from your cheeks to your neck, but the feeling of his warm hands on the sides of your face, thumbs caressing your cheeks, is enough to make you ignore that. He is smiling even bigger than you are when he kisses your forehead, “Shhh. Let me.”

One, two, three. Four, five, six. Kisses to your forehead, nose, cheeks, jaw, chin. They keep adding up. To the top of your head to where your jaw meets your neck. You don't lose count, you notice.

One for each year you've been alive.

Involuntarily, your eyes fill with tears. “What's all this for?"

“You deserve’em.” His big eyes are shining too, under the yellow light of the kitchen. “Happy birthday, baby.”

He fixes the tiara on your head, and gives you one last kiss, this time on the lips. “Thank you.”