#heather writes

[greymoonfeelings]

You and Me

pairing: Jake Seresin x fem! reader

word count: 0.7k

note: this is a little blurb I’ve had in my drafts forever and I wanted to get it published. I firmly believe Jake says says “give me some sugar” when he wants a kiss and you will not change my mind.

•••

You let out a huff, swirling the ice cubes in your drink around with the plastic straw. With your head in your hand, you watch as Jake celebrates his latest pool victory with his friends. He wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, but he was so wrapped up in the energy of his friends that he had yet to realize you weren’t feeling the same.

After Coyote slaps him on the back, Jake spins around to face you. He looks over to you expectantly, hoping to see you smiling at him, but instead notices the downturn of your lips as you stare down at your drink. Jake excuses himself from his friends before approaching you.

“What's wrong, darlin?” He slides into the booth beside you, throwing an arm around your slumped shoulders.

“Nothing.” You force a smile, not wanting to ruin his fun with your sour mood. Jake cocks his head to the side giving you a knowing look. There is no use lying to him. He has always been able to see right through you.

You sigh in defeat. “I thought tonight would just be us. I love your friends, but we’re with them so much and I miss spending time alone with you.”

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” His tone is soft, not accusing.

“I didn’t want to sound needy.” You peer down at your drink again, pretending to be interested in the condensation running down this side so you don’t have to look your boyfriend in the eye.

You’re terrified of Jake suddenly deciding that you’re too high maintenance. Maybe he wants a girlfriend who’s more go-with-the-flow and less clingy. Jake is a boisterous and extroverted person, why would he ever want to be with someone who was the exact opposite?

Jake recognizes that look on your face. The one you make when your order comes out wrong but you eat it anyway because you don’t want to be a bother. The one you wear when someone suddenly starts talking over you because they either didn’t realize you were speaking or they just didn’t care. Jake hates that look, hates that you feel like you’re not good enough to take up space.

“There’s no one else I would rather spend time with than you, darlin’. You can always tell me what you’re feeling, you don’t have to hide from me or feel embarrassed.”

“You’re so good to me, Jake. I’m not used to my feelings being considered.”

“Your feelings deserve to be treated with respect and I love you, I always want you to be comfortable.”

“I love you too.”

“Gimme some sugar.” Jake leans in, his lips searching for yours.

“Not here.” You duck away from him, looking around at the crowded bar.

“No one’s looking. They’re all too focused on themselves. C’mon, I missed you too, darling.” Jake whispers reassuringly as he presses kisses to the side of your face.

You take another quick look around the bar before deciding that he’s right. You lean into Jake’s side and press your glossed lips against his.

When you pull away, Jake licks his lips trying to savor the taste of you. “Mm, cherry. My favorite.”

“You’re not supposed to lick it off, weirdo.” You laugh and give your boyfriend a playful shove.

“Let’s get out of here. There’s a carton of ice cream back home with our names written all over it and I may have finally caved and subscribed to Disney Plus.”

Jake wraps his arm around your waist and tucks you against his side. After saying goodbye to his friends, he leads you out into the parking lot, his body warming you against the cool breeze from the ocean.

The two of you spend the remainder of the night curled up in bed sharing the tub of ice cream while your favorite movie plays. Jake makes sure you know just how much he cherishes his time with you. Being alone with just him refills your energy just the way you were hoping it would and you fall asleep feeling even more in love with your man.

[heatherfield]

Walk Me Home | A “Headless” Fic Chapter Sixty-Two

Story summary: Brom and Matilda find their relationship status is more complicated than ever after the explosive reveal of a year’s worth of secrets. How do they navigate their way forward when they struggle to know what’s true? And yet, to their friends, some things couldn’t be more obvious. (Explores what happens in between the climax of the finale and the epilogue of “Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story”.)

Chapter summary:  Matilda and her mother make a possible discovery in the Bishop greenhouse before Matilda and Brom must brace themselves for a dinner with his dad.

Chapter Characters/Pairings: Brom and Matilda, Matilda's mom, Brom's dad

Rating: Teen

Author’s note: After another accidental and annoying hiatus, I'm finally back! This chapter got away from me, but I seemed to keep thinking of jokes and images to layer in, so hopefully it's a fun read with some depth! I appreciate anyone who reads this and is still sticking with this fic, and any comments you can spare mean the world to me. Thank you!!

Link: AO3.org

[foreteller-ava]

Flying Free

AO3 | FFN

Summary: NiGHTS has finally escaped Wizeman's grasp. Now they just need to find somewhere to stay.

A/N: Written for the NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams 15th Anniversary Fanzine.

NiGHTS approached the fountain in the middle of the forest, unable to stop themself from looking over their shoulder for signs that they were followed.

Running away from Reala, from Wizeman, from everything and everyone they had ever known, it had been something even just weeks ago they’d have never been able to imagine. It hurt of course, running from your family always would. But without the pressure to steal Ideya, to terrorize the children who found their way in the realm of Nightmare, they felt an unfamiliar lightness in their heart. They felt free.

A laugh bubbled up from within NiGHTS as they began looping in the sky, reveling in the feeling of joy for the first time since they’d been given their task. “I never have to go back.”

“Well, I hope that means you’re not making your home here then.” The sound of a voice behind them stopped NiGHTS’s victory celebration. They turned around, seeing an unfamiliar brown owl. He was an odd sight, nothing like the denizens of Nightmare that they had spent their entire life with. “Nightmarens aren’t welcome on this side of the world of dreams.”

NiGHTS flew down towards the owl, getting close to his face as they examined him with interest. “What is the meaning of this!?” the owl asked, flapping his wings in front of him to move backwards so as to put some space between himself and them.

NiGHTS pulled back. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen anything like you before.”��

The owl frowned, but seemed relieved that NiGHTS pulled back. “Let’s hope you don’t, your presence here is a danger to all the Nightopians who call this place home.”

NiGHTS didn’t think they were a danger; they were pretty sure their decision to betray Wizeman would’ve made that clear. Then again, the owl probably didn’t realize that. “I’m NiGHTS. What about you?”

“What?” the owl seemed taken aback, so NiGHTS tried again.

“Your name, if we’re going to become friends, it’s only right that I have something to call you, right?” They stuck out their hand, hoping the owl might take it as a peace offering, and a step towards friendship.

Instead, the owl was incensed. “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play, Nightmaren, but it won’t work on me. I won’t let you try anything foolish.”

“I’m not trying to play anything.” NiGHTS insisted. “I’m really not here to hurt anybody. I don’t understand why you can’t believe that.”

“Why I can’t believe that?” the owl scoffed. “I’ve seen hundreds of visitors come here, their Ideya stolen from them by Nightmarens who love nothing more than to terrorize the Nightopians who try to find a safe haven here. Why should I believe you when you say you’re different, when you wear the mask that marks you as one of Wizeman’s goons.”

NiGHTS stopped, unsure what to say of that as they reached towards their face, feeling the heavy weight of the mask. They had forgotten all about their Persona in their desperation to escape, but now that they heard the owl point it out, they understood his wariness. There was no reason for him to believe that they were any different from any other Nightmaren when they still wore the pledge to their former master on their face.

They grabbed the corners of the Persona, gently removing it as they looked at the ornate golden design. Their fingers lightly traced around the large red gem in the center. This mask had defined their identity for so long, and now they were considering getting rid of it after so long. “I had forgotten I was wearing it, I didn’t mean to cause you any worries.”

“You forgot?” The owl remained skeptical, but NiGHTS was not one to be deterred.

They nodded in response. “I was trying to escape from them.”

“Why would a first level Nightmaren be trying to escape from other Nightmarens?”

So their true nature wasn’t as easily hidden as they’d assumed, that was good to know. “Because I don’t want to chase down Visitors for their Ideya anymore. We can’t help what we’re created as, but that doesn’t mean it has to define our actions.” NiGHTS was a Nightmaren, created by Wizeman, but it didn’t mean they had to steal Ideya, not if they didn’t want to. Not if it wasn’t who they wanted to be. “I was tired of hurting people, so I decided to leave.”

“Wizeman doesn’t take betrayal lightly,” the owl noted. “You’ll never be able to return to the life you once had.”

“I know. I knew the moment I left that things wouldn’t be the same.” They could still picture Reala’s expression as they’d told him that they were planning on leaving, that they couldn’t stand stealing Ideya and being under Wizeman’s thumb. They could still feel the chains that Wizeman had tried to throw them in when they’d left, the phantoms of shackles they’d only just managed to avoid.

Wizeman would never let them be free if he had anything to say about it, and they weren’t about to let him take them back either. 

They looked at the owl, remembering their determination to escape. “But I would rather be on the run the rest of my life than spend another day as Wizeman’s tool.”

The owl finally relaxed, their conviction convincing him of their intentions at long last. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Does that mean I can stay?” NiGHTS asked, perking up.

The owl chuckled. “Against my better judgment, yes. The Dream Gate is perhaps the only place that Wizeman and his Nightmarens have yet to truly ever invade. It might be the only place that you’ll ever be safe.”

NiGHTS doubted that, but said nothing, choosing to go along with it if it meant the owl was comfortable with their presence. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“I would expect nothing less. One action against the Nightopians who spend their time here, or the visitors for that matter, and I’ll be sure that you never set foot here again.”

NiGHTS smiled. That would be an easy task, they were tired of hurting others, and had no intention to do so again. “I’ll even help you protect them.”

“When another visitor comes through, I’ll hold you to that.” The owl extended a wing. “I believe you asked for my name earlier. It’s Owl.”

“Owl.” NiGHTS grabbed Owl’s wing and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Owl.”

Owl ended the handshake first with a hoot. “Now, NiGHTS, was it? If you want to settle in at the Dream Gate, you’d best follow along. There’s not a lot to see, but it’s important that when a Visitor arrives, you don’t get lost. Not if you’re going to help them.”

“I’ve got it!” NiGHTS held back a laugh. They would try their best to make a good impression on any Visitors that showed up, but it was still odd. A Nightmaren doing their best to avoid scaring the Visitors they’d meet while trying to impress them, what a novelty.

A Nightmaren defecting from Wizeman. That was a novelty as well.

“Oh, and one more thing. I’d get rid of that mask as well. Anything that marks you as one of Wizeman’s soldiers would never go over well among the Nightopians. Not if you want them to stop fearing you.”

“Right, of course.” NiGHTS looked at the Persona in their hand. It would be easy to just throw it away, to pretend that they had never been a part of Wizeman’s army, to give up that final part tying them to their past.

But that was the problem, in a way. It wasn’t just a mask tying them to Wizeman, it was a mask tying them to the other Nightmarens, to the ones they had considered friends and family, like Jackle and Reala. Getting rid of it would acknowledge that there would be no going back, though they weren’t sure there would be an option to go back regardless. Even if Reala managed to help them escape punishment, there was only one path left for NiGHTS: the one that would allow for Wizeman’s defeat at once, to free the Night Dimension and all Visitors from his grasp.

That was something to contend with another day. They returned the mask to their pocket and smiled. “Sorry for the hold up, let’s go!”

One day, NiGHTS would be willing to give up their Persona for good, to separate themself once and for all.

But for now, that didn’t matter.

Right now, they’d made their first non-Nightmaren friend, and for once, their future looked bright.

[callunavulgari]

Eddie finds Stevie in the boy’s bathroom. It’s a Monday, which means that he’s still half asleep and reeling from Mr. Donaldson’s delightful first period lecture on The Catcher and the fucking Rye when he stumbles through the doors to the bathroom tucked around the back corner near the band room. Not the good bathroom by the language hall, no— the good bathroom was the one that the cool kids used. The one that Eddie frequents is the one with the ancient wonky toilet that no one ever actually uses because there’s a fifty-fifty chance of the singular working toilet in the room either flushing like normal or of it deciding to fuck you completely and flooding halfway down the hallway.

It’s been Eddie’s designated smoking spot since Rick let him in on the secret halfway through his sophomore year at good ole Hawkins High. Ninety-five percent of the time the room’s an absolute ghost town and if someone does show up it’s usually a fellow stoner looking for somewhere quiet to self-medicate before they’re subjected to the mind numbing horrors of Jeb fucking Houser’s government class a few doors down.

Which is why Eddie’s surprised to swing the doors open on a random Monday in late April and find the room already occupied— not by any of the usual suspects, but by Stevie goddamn Harrington, the queen bee of Hawkins High herself.

For a long moment, Eddie just stares at her like a deer in headlights, his fingers going lax around the cigarette that he’d already shaken loose from the pack. He doesn’t even notice it tumbling to the ground.

She’s sitting on the floor. 

That’s what he keeps getting stuck on. 

She’s just sitting there with her knees splayed out against the grimy tile, her body crumpled back against the far wall like a puppet with its strings cut. Her hair is still big, her nails still perfect, but there had been sniffles when he walked in, loud and ominous in the quiet until she’d clocked him standing there, her head snapping towards him.

Looking at her now… yeah, those are tears. Her dark eyes are big and round and wet, her lashes clumped hopelessly together with even more unshed tears. There are faint tracks down her cheeks where her mascara has run, black smears that skate past her chin.

For a long moment, they both just stare at each other in horrified silence. And then Eddie shifts awkwardly and breaks the stare down, belatedly stooping to scoop up his cigarette.

“Sorry,” he says, gesturing at the cigarette by way of explanation. He jerks the zippo from his pocket and jiggles it in her direction. “I just, uh—” He hesitates, not sure what to say. Should he offer to leave? Leave her to the dubious privacy of the shittiest bathroom in the school and give her back some modicum of her dignity? He thinks that’s probably his best option, to just turn around and get the heck out of dodge, but at the last second, he changes his mind, holding the cigarette out in question. “—you mind?”

Stevie blinks at him, the wet drag of her lashes terribly distracting. He watches them kiss her cheeks as if in slow motion and thinks for a moment, appallingly, of whether they’d feel whisper-soft against the palm of his hand if he touched them, a ghost of a touch like a butterfly’s wings.

Eddie watches in real time as she tries to compose herself, sniffing hard and wiping under her eyes as her spine goes straighter, her knees tucking back together all prim and proper. She bites her lip and for a moment he thinks that she’s going to argue with him, tell him to get out and go find another place to smoke.

Instead, she gives him a slightly watery smile and thrusts a hand out expectantly. “Only if you’ve got one to spare.”

[asoftepiloguemylove]

WHY ARE YOU HAUNTED? // ON HAUNTED HOUSES

Frederick Kiesler Inside the Endless House // The Haunting of Hill House (2018) cr. Mike Flanagan // Lisa Robertson Magenta Soul Whip // Joan Tierney Why Are You Haunted? // V.C. Andrews // Heather Havrileskyb Haunted Womanhood // Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House // The Haunting of Hill House cr. Mike Flanagan // Tracy K. Smith Ash // Anatomy (2016) cr. Kitty Horrorshow

[writerly-blonde]

I am so glad to see that you're writing again. I think of you from time to time, and check your blog occasionally

Forgive me as I cry my eyes out rq

I have a tendency, or have had the tendency to think I can write again, and then doubt myself and stop, and then come back and say I'm writing again, and then self sabotage and-

I've convinced myself that it must have been annoying on some level to those who remember this blog (which, the fact that I am remembered and this blog is something cherished, no matter how much, means the fucking world to me), but the fact that you sent this, despite how many times I've said "i'm writing again!" and then let this blog go silent...

I love you in the wholesome way a person can love a stranger <3

anyways, here's a little something that I've been working on to warm up with i'm hoping I can keep posting little bits and pieces!

***

Machinery whirred throughout the workshop. Hulking pieces of robotics, gutted computers, and cast off projects littered the tables and floors, their cables casting a tangled web across the room that Ari waltzed through. A fan from above swung idly, and she huffed at the hair swept into her face, tying it quickly back into a sagging bun. She did not mind the deafening noise of tens of machines, the steady thrum of internal fans struggling to keep the metal cool. If anything, she heaved a sigh of relief as her foot crossed some invisible threshold into the heart of the workshop.

A silhouette on the other side clicked. ”G-good…m-m-morning.” Warm yellow eyes flickered to life in the shadows.

Ari’s lips quirked as she flicked on the rest of the lights. “It’s 3pm, RIN.”

Fluorescent light shone bright on a lithe android body propped up on a chair by her work tables. He was little more than a humanistic torso and head, adorned with sleek tan metal and aluminum highlights, hooked up to a mess of wires. The back panel of his head laid just to the side, along with his arms and legs. The same ones that Ari hasn’t managed to sync with the rest of the programming yet.

Her brows furrowed as she considered which to work on that day.

“M-my apol-apologies,” RIN said, “I am still-I am still-still…”

Ari winced. “Still warming up. It’s okay, give it a moment.”

RIN’s chin dipped, his body almost seeming to sag against the worn office chair, eyes dimming. Ari hesitated. Her heart panged. 

“Hey, you’re just a little cold.” She reached out to press a warm hand against his shoulder. “It’s alright, you’ll be good as new in a heartbeat.”

RIN didn’t reply for a long moment, but Ari waited, listening patiently to the thousand little clicks within his machinery. Then, a whir as RIN lifted his head. “It ha-has been a-a heartb-beat and I a-am still cold.” That gaze drifted down to the table beside him. “And-and still missing limbs.” 

Ari blew out a startled laugh; one that quickly turned to worry. It wasn’t good for him to sit uselessly in her dark shop, confined to a wobbly seat. “I know, I’m sorry, RIN.” She reached across him to grab a left leg. “I think I’m close to figuring out what the issue is, though.”

Those warmly-lit eyes narrowed a bit, tiny half moons of shadow forming at the bottom. As if he were smiling.

Ari arched a brow as she settled into the chair next to him. “You don’t believe me.”

“Statistically sp-speaking, today should be no different from last night.”

She pulled the leg over to her workbench. “Ye of little faith,” she said, opening a panel on the calf. “Just because I didn’t find anything new then, certainly does not mean I won’t find it now.” She grabbed a mess of wires protruding from her main computer, fished three specific ones out, and connected them for yet another diagnostic test. As code flickered across the monitor gathering information, she leaned back. “And, you’re sounding better already.”

RIN just watched her before tilting his gaze towards the screen. As good as she was, he would always be able to understand it just a few moments faster. So when his head dipped again, those eyes dimming, Ari’s stomach plummeted to her feet.

ERROR.

[thoughtkick]

I needed to be somewhere different. Maybe I needed to be someone different, too.

Heather Davis; The Clearing

[fight-for-what-you-love]

♪Wheel of Fortune - Kay Starr

Aahhhh. I love weddings. Don’t you? I think it’s a wonderful expression of one’s love for another, and it’s always nice to see celebrated! Crashing weddings can be fun to watch too, thankfully. Thanks, Sierra! (And sorry you lost your husband!)

Notes on the episode under the cut!

* Cody’s silently praying to whatever God may be out there that Noah’s the one that comes back.

* Chris announces Noah’s return as he rises from the stage on a three-tier platform. Sierra’s “WHAT” is drowned out by Cody’s “YES!!!”.

* (Noah's song is an entirely new arrangement that spoofs Kay Starr’s “Wheel Of Fortune”. It would entail Noah leading [obviously], singing about how awful it is that Lady Luck brought him back to compete on this awful show. It would end with Noah and Cody collectively thanking Lady Luck for letting them see each other again.)

* Noah asks if he has to go back to team Chris, and Chris responds that the teams are merging. Everyone welcomes this development except Sierra.

* Once he rejoins the cast proper, Sierra starts picking a fight with him. “Whatever… At least I got to spend more time with Cody.” Noah’s petty. “…At least Cody likes spending time with me.”

* They keep going. “At least I got to sleep with Cody!” “At least I slept with him first!” “At least my parents won’t hate me because I kissed a boy!!” “At least my parents care about me in the first place!!”

* Chris interrupts them: “Okay, okay! As entertaining as this spat is…” Cut to Cody, Tyler and Heather holding back Noah, and Courtney, Alejandro and Duncan holding back Sierra. Cody holds Noah’s mouth shut and Courtney holds Sierra’s shut. “…I’ve got a show to run. Let’s move on, shall we?”

* Sierra’s the first one to spin the roulette machine and she gets Tyler. She’s not happy. Tyler’s met with no one as Sierra yells at Chris to let her spin again. He insists she gets what she gets, and she’s not allowed to re-roll.

* Noah goes after Sierra, and rolls Cody. He pops out and finds himself in front of Noah. He jumps up and hugs him tight as he says it’s “The BEST DAY EVER!!” Sierra seethes in the background.

* Courtney rolls Alejandro and Heather is left with Duncan. Alejandro's disappointed but he won't say that out loud. Courtney on the other hand is SO happy to not be with Duncan.

* (As it turns out, Courtney and Alejandro are more compatible than they thought. Duncan and Heather, on the other hand, are not. Sad.)

* Noah and Cody breeeeeeze through the dress portion of the challenge. Cody’s laying down on his podium kicking around his legs, yelling directions at Noah with the stupidest look on his face. Noah makes it to the dress first and looks it up and down. Cody yells out “I THOUGHT THAT DRESS SUITED YOU WELL!!” Noah weakly yells back “Thank you Cody!” He’s not thrilled about wearing the dress, but he does appreciate Cody leading him to the one he’d be the most comfortable in.

* Noco’s the first ones to walk the tightrope. Cody looks down at the falls nervously, and Noah suggests carrying him instead. Cody stops him, insisting he can do it, and picks Noah up. Noah leans into him, getting comfortable. “If you insist, macho man.”

* Sierra and Tyler go after them and Sierra’s visibly upset. Tyler tries to mellow her out, suggesting that Cody and Noah are happy with each other and maybe she should let them be. Sierra stares at them as they talk about flower arrangements in their hypothetical wedding. She decides that no, she’s not quite ready to let them be, so she starts bouncing to make Tyler wobble and shake the line. It works and both couples fall.

* Cody manages to grab Noah in one arm and the line in another, though he’s struggling. Noah asks him if he can pull them back up (though he knows he can’t.) Cody tries anyway, and strains to the point of veins popping out of his neck. Noah tells him to stop.

* Alejandro and Courtney walk by and Alejandro “accidentally” kicks Cody’s hand off the line. Noco falls, screaming on the way down (“No!” in reality, “Asshole!” If I was allowed to curse.) Courtney is somewhat impressed by his ruthlessness. They win this challenge. Duncan and Heather were just bickering the whole time don’t worry about them.

~*[Events of the comic]*~

* Duncan gets voted out for being a prick and a bastard. Courtney is ok with this.

[mssoapart]

Day 7

Free-day (Out of order and late) Alenoah as Sherlock/Moriarty.

I like it when two characters play mind games and scheming against or with each other.

I didn`t plan to create an AU, but – my rant and bits of literature/character analysis (The Vision). Also, draw concept sketch.

Noah (Detective Sherlock Holmes). I mean, they're both geniuses, introverts who don't care about social opinion and some versions depicted him as being good with dogs. In Victorian England, I totally see Noah opening a detective agency, because you either go working on a plant or you might use your geniuses’ intelligence to solve crimes, like game puzzles, and make monies to pay bills and buy new books because in 1800 many books were expensive and produced in small quantities.

Plus! I might look at this too far, but I think the Sherlock and Watson analogy was implemented in London episode when they strip team Chris just to Noah and Owen for investigation.

Owen (Dr. Watson). Basically in the original books, Watson plays the role of the guy, your typical visual novel MC, well narrator, who has character, but his whole purpose is just to be a witness to detectives doing, asking questions for the audience. This leads to usually representing Watson as either annoyed with Sherlock's antics or (usually in kids' media) naïve but with good intentions because of this simplification, to show his kindhearted nature in cartoons and caricatures he is portrayed as chubby, which is what we need! But all of them did service in the Anglo-Afghan War, even Disney version mentioned it. (Also if you want to do Nowen version of Jhonlock I don`t mind, sure go for it)

Alejandro (professor Moriarty). Do I really need to explain? Both archvillains in their stories. Professor, respected in society for his talent and achievements, wealthy, but behind all of that façade he`s "Napoleon of crime". He doesn’t usually do crimes himself but rather, schemes, orchestrates the events, or provides the plans that will lead to a successful crime, like paying money to a court so that someone can be released from prison.

Heather (Irene Adler). OK, in the original books (all books written not by Arthur Conan Doyle are basically fanfics) her character and Sherlock don`t date (But if you like, it`s fine). She was more like “I know what you are” towards him.  I want to base it more on Warner Bros Sherlock where Irene works with Moriarty, but they also try to get rid of each other. She is also famous for blackmailing royals, If it isn`t most Heather thing I don`t know what is.

Eva (Mrs. Hudson). The landlady. I think it would be funny, she yelling at them to pay their bills in time.

See you next week

[greymoonfeelings]

That's My Man

whumpuary #9: scars

summary: Even the hottest man on the planet has insecurities about his looks

warnings: negative self talk, spice/implied smut (nothing explicit)

word count: 600

•••

“God, I look like shit.” Bradley mutters to himself as he examines his scars in the floor-length mirror. Fresh out of the shower, the marred skin looks more evident in the morning sun.

“Hey, that’s my man you’re talking about.” You tease, wrapping your arms around his torso. Bradley looks at you in the mirror, seemingly unmoved by your playful comment.

“That’s the mystery. What do you even find attractive about me? I look like Frankenstein.”

There’s a noticeable shift in your demeanor when you realize that your boyfriend is seriously feeling down about himself. It hurts your heart to think that he feels insecure about the man he sees in the mirror, the one that you love so deeply.

“Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“It’s hard not to. Every time I look in the mirror it’s all I see.” His fingertips pull at his cheek, stretching the skin in a way that makes the scars look more prominent.

“Well, you know what I see?” You move in front of Bradley, blocking his view of the mirror. “I see my strong, badass boyfriend who does one of the most dangerous jobs ever yet manages to come back home to me even when the odds are against him.” You trace over the scars on his chest that he acquired when punching out of his plane that was destroyed during a dogfight.

“I see someone who fights for those he loves and never leaves a man behind.” The scars on his cheek and neck are next to be caressed, reminding him that they were the byproduct of his decision to go after Maverick during the Uranium mission.

Lastly, you take his left hand in yours, acknowledging the red mark on his palm “I also see an idiot who burned his hand on my curling iron, but I guess that’s beside the point.” You kiss the welt as Bradley shakes his head, chuckling at your cheekiness.

Lifting his face with your hands, you force him to look into your eyes so he knows that your next words are the truth. “Your scars don’t make you less attractive, Bradley, or less deserving of love. They’re proof of how resilient you are and I love you no matter what.”

“I love you too.”

You press a tender kiss to his forehead before pulling back. “And I’m not only with you for your looks, y’know.”

“Well, what are you with me for?” Bradley questions, expecting a heartfelt answer or perhaps even a sentiment about what’s between his legs.

“The great benefits that the Navy offers, duh! Who wouldn’t want to live in this amazing government housing? Having a working refrigerator is overrated!”

“You’re a tease, you know that?”

“No, I’m just a sarcastic bitch. If I were a tease I would do this…”

You lean in close to your boyfriend, leaving delicate kisses along his neck as you slowly run a hand down to the front of his gym shorts where he is sensitive. Bradley lets out a soft moan as you suck a mark against his collarbone. He reaches out for your hips but you spin away from his grasp.

Smirking at your successful attempt at riling your boyfriend up and getting his mind off his insecurities, you run out of the bedroom hollering, “Well! I’m off to run errands!”

“Oh, you’re in for it now!”

Your squeals fill the apartment as Bradley chases you through the house to get you to finish what you started. Eventually, he catches up and you spend the afternoon showing him every single thing you love about him including his scars.

[heatherfield]

Ok, so, I've been feeling a lack of motivation/inspiration lately when it comes to being creative—specifically, with gifs and fic. (I have been reading a lot, which is something!)

I miss "Walk Me Home" so much and I'm still thinking about "Headless" pretty much 24/7 and I have the ideas to finish, but the muses haven't been cooperative. I will most definitely finish that fic, though, because I do have it planned out—and then some! (Even if it kills me.)

But—BUT—this week I've had a flash of a fic idea and it basically wrote itself in my head and I'm so excited! I think it's really good. Hopefully. Or at least fun. It'll be shorter, but a continuation of "Walk Me Home" and a bit of a "what if" in the "Headless" world.

Anyway, wish me luck!!

Of course, this would happen during October, a.k.a. Giftober month where I'm trying to madly make gifs.

When it rains, it pours.

P.S. Send help. I've already got ELEVEN SONGS. HOW?!

[foreteller-ava]

Raft

AO3 | FFN

Summary: Riku and Kairi continued their bickering as they emerged back onto the beach. As they walked to the docks, Sora stopped. He looked at the boats, an idea starting to form. “Hey guys,” he said. “What about a raft?”

[Or, how Sora, Riku, and Kairi decided to build a raft to leave the islands.]

A/N: Written for @destinytriofanzine. Leftovers are now available so go grab a copy while you still can!

The day on the islands had been hectic as Sora and Riku began to head back in. Even as things started to wind down, the smile hadn’t left Sora’s face from the games they’d been playing on the beach to mark the end of the school year and beginning of summer. But as the others had returned home, even Sora’s boundless energy had started to fade, and it was time for them to return home for the night.

As they got to the docks, he and Riku paused, noticing a third boat still sitting next to theirs. Sora frowned. “Kairi’s still out here?”

“Seems so,” Riku said, a frown on his face. He turned to face Sora. “I thought something seemed off when she said she was sick.”

“You don’t think something happened to her, do you?” Sora asked.

Rather than answer his question immediately, Riku turned around. “I don’t know…But we should probably look around and see if we can find her, just to make sure.”

Sora nodded. “Right.” He followed Riku’s gaze to the Secret Place, understanding without words.

If there was anywhere that Kairi would choose to hide, it would be there. In their hideaway from the others, where they played games just the three of them.

Sora led the way, Riku not even a step behind him as they made their way across the beach to find their missing best friend. Whatever was actually wrong with Kairi, Sora would make sure to find out. He had to do whatever he could to make sure she was okay.

The moment they entered the cave, it was obvious they had come to the right place. There was a clattering sound, as though somebody was hitting the walls of the cave with another stone. Once they entered through the corridor, they saw Kairi doing just that. She was etching a new picture on the wall of a bird.

When she heard their footsteps, she stopped. “Sora? Riku?”

Sora smiled and waved. “Hey Kairi.”

She gently put the stone down, turning away from her drawing to face them. “I’d have thought you guys would’ve gone back by now.”

“When we saw your boat at the dock, we got worried,” Sora explained. “So we went looking.”

“Besides, we couldn’t leave here without you.” Riku extended a hand to her. “You should know us better than that by now, Kairi.”

Kairi gave a small smile, though she hid it behind her hands. “Sorry for worrying you. I just needed some time alone.” She brushed past both of them, heading for the cave’s entrance. “Come on, let’s go back!”

“Hang on.” Sora grabbed Kairi’s wrist before she could continue onward. Despite her insisting she was okay, this wasn’t normal. Not for her. “You didn’t tell us what was wrong.”

Kairi stood still, not saying anything. She remained quiet long enough that Sora wasn’t sure that she would tell them what was wrong, but before he could ask again, she spoke. “It was the comment Selphie made.”

“The what…?” Sora frowned, trying to think of something she had said that could’ve upset Kairi.

“The one about your memories?” Riku asked. Kairi nodded. “You seemed a little off after that.”

“It wasn’t meant to be such a big deal, just…” She trailed off, as though trying to decide how much she wanted to let Sora and Riku know. “Sometimes, I wonder about what my life was like before I came to the islands. About my old homeworld, and about the friends and family I had before I came here.” She looked towards them. “I know there isn’t anything that can be done about it, and normally I try not to let it bother me. What she said just brought all of it back up.”

“Oh.” Admittedly, there wasn’t a lot that Sora could do to help reassure her. There was no way for Sora to help her access those memories and remind her of what they contained, and so it was a problem with no real solution to be had. “Well, I know we can’t really make up for the memories you’re missing, but there’s all the memories you’ve made with us. And the home you have now.” He grinned, letting go of Kairi’s arm to put his hands behind his head.

Kairi nodded. “I know, and I wouldn’t trade getting to know you guys for any amount of time on my homeworld, but still…”

“You wonder about the life you used to have out there, and about the world you left behind.”  Riku filled in the silence Kairi left behind.

“I had to have a family before I was here. They must be so worried about whether or not I’m okay.” Kairi rocked on her feet, smiling despite the small amount of hurt in her voice. “But I’ll be fine. It’s not like I remember them anyways.”

“Then that means they’re out there looking for you, right?” Sora asked. “They’ll have to come across our islands so long as they keep looking.”

Riku shook his head. “We don’t need to wait for them. Maybe instead of that, we could go to the other worlds. We could find your homeworld, Kairi!”

The idea had merit. The three of them were decent at fighting if they ran into anything dangerous, they were smart, and they were experienced in traveling at least the short distance between the main and play islands. They could handle themselves long enough to make it off the islands and find another world. And then they could keep exploring the worlds as long as it took.

“I’d like to try.” Sora nodded, turning to Kairi. “What about you, Kairi?”

“What if it’s dangerous? I don’t want you getting hurt for me.” Kairi bit her lip and frowned, almost as though she held a memory of a threat she wished she could forget. A threat that could put them all in danger. 

“We won’t.” Riku insisted, trying to put her mind at ease. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, Sora and I will stay safe, and we can help protect you too.”

“You sure?” Kairi asked. Riku nodded, and just like that, the worried expression vanished before Sora could ask why. “Then in that case, let’s do it!”

“Hold on, aren’t you forgetting something?” Riku asked. Kairi tilted her head. “We still need to figure out how we’re going to get there.”

That was a part of the plan Sora hadn’t thought out yet. He looked around the walls of the cave, searching for any sort of inspiration before his eyes locked on the picture of the bird. “We could fly there!”

“Fly?” Kairi smiled, much more genuine than before.

“Yeah! On a ship. Like a rocket.” Sora could see it now. Obviously, they would need to fly to get off the different worlds. It wouldn’t be that hard to navigate the stars above if they could fly.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get a rocket.” Riku shook his head and crossed his arms, clearly doubting Sora’s plan for them to get off the islands.  “We can’t make one either, we don’t have the materials.”

Sora pouted. “So what’s your idea then?”

“I think we could make a portal. It couldn’t be that hard.” When Riku mentioned the portal, Sora saw a brief glimpse of a woman flying away in armor from the islands in a light portal in the sky. A memory from a long time ago.

“Do you know how to make portals?” Kairi asked. 

Riku hesitated. “Well…no, but it can’t be that hard to learn, right?”

“Well…considering we don’t have any magic books…” she pointed out. Riku frowned, as though bothered by the lack of knowledge, or possibly trying to remember something from long ago.

“Okay then, fine. What’s your great idea?”

“Well, I think there’s some merit to your portal idea. Just… rather than summoning it, we could find an item to open one, or maybe teleport us around them.” Kairi started to walk out of the cave, causing Sora and Riku to follow her back out onto the beach. “But I’m not really sure we could find something like that here…”

Kairi was right. If such an item did exist in their world, it would be well hidden and hard to find, and somebody would have likely found it by that point, making the idea unlikely to work. 

“It still seems like my method is the most likely then. I’m sure it can’t be that hard to learn how to summon one.” Riku smirked. Kairi shook her head. “What?”

“You’re just saying that because it’s your idea, aren’t you?”

“What, no, I’m not!”

Riku and Kairi continued their bickering as they emerged back onto the beach. As they walked to the docks, Sora stopped. He looked at the boats, an idea starting to form. “Hey guys,” he said. “What about a raft?”

Kairi and Riku stopped, turning to face him. “A raft.” Sora nodded. “Of course.” He ran up to the dock’s edge, looking over the ocean into the horizon. “The ocean can’t go on forever, no matter how big it looks. If we just keep sailing, we’ll hit the end of our world, and then…”

Riku and Kairi caught on, both of them running up beside him to overlook the ocean. 

“Then we’ll be in another world.” Riku’s voice was hardly more than a whisper, almost as though he couldn’t believe the idea Sora had said might actually work. 

“And then once we’re there, I bet we can find a better mode of transportation to keep going.” Kairi grinned. “It wouldn’t take much to make it either. Just some logs, rope, and tarps.”

“All of those are things we have here!” Sora turned away from the horizon towards Riku first, and then Kairi, all too excited about the plan he was starting to form. “It wouldn’t take long to build it either, if we’re all working together.”

“How far do you think it is?” Kairi asked. “What if it’s a long journey ahead?”

“Then we gather food and water from the island before we go.” Riku jumped into the planning, now just as enthusiastic. “If Sora and I hunt for supplies together from here, and we grab some things from home, we should be able to gather more than enough food to last the journey.”

“What will I be doing while you’re doing that?” Kairi asked, pouting.

“The most important job, of course. You’ll put together the raft for us,” Riku answered. “You are the one best at making things.”

Kairi laughed. “Are you sure I’ll be able to do it alone?”

“You won’t know until you try,” Riku said. Sora nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I’ll try.” Though judging by the sounds of suppressed laughter, it seemed as though Kairi still doubted she’d be able to do it without their help.It wasn’t a problem to Sora though. All three of them would gather the materials, then they would build the raft and gather the supplies, and then after that, they could sail to the edge of the world right until they found a new one.

It was such a simple plan, and yet Sora knew it would work. The three of them would be able to use it to make it off the island. “We should start working tomorrow!”

Riku and Kairi nodded, and there was an excitement buzzing between the three of them as they continued discussing everything they would need.

The raft would take them where they needed to go, and then they would find Kairi’s home world.

Their adventure was about to begin.

[callunavulgari]

Scrapbook 2024 | April + May

I effed up guys. I didn't track shit for two months because I had a bad case of the sads, so I am half assing it if only because I'm going to feel wrong if I skip straight to June.

For anyone that’s new to this, this is how I keep track of all of the things that I enjoy and/or create throughout the year. I have literally been doing this since I had a livejournal.

It’s a nice little snippet of my life and helps to organize my brain.

For those who are only here for the recs - they're at the bottom! ;)

A reminder:

Normal font - Indifferent/Neutral Italicized font - Enjoyed bold font - Loved with an asterisk* - All time favorite (bracketed titles) - Re-watches/Re-reads strikethough - Disliked

Goals are: read 70 books and write at least 50k of original content.

Past Years

MOVIES

April

(The Hunger Games)

(The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

(The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pts 1-2)

(Suzume)

May

?

TV SHOWS

April

(The X-Files - s1, s2)

Shogun, s1

May

Dead Boy Detectives

Bridgerton, s3 - part 1

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

April + May

Beryl & Imamu

BOOKS

April

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo [Fin]

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron [Fin]

The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss [Fin]

The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni [Fin]

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings [Fin]

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas [Fin]

What Feasts at Night by T.Kingfisher [Fin]

Silence for the Dead by Simone St James [Fin]

May

The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black [Fin]

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo [Fin]

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher [Fin]

PODCASTS

April & May

The Magnus Protocol* (!!!!!!!!!)

(The Magnus Archives)

VIDEO GAMES

April & May

Stardew Valley - all the hours

POSTED FIC

April

N/A

May

we'll meet again (don't know where, don't know when) | Stranger Things | Steddie | 1882 words | WIP | “He’s screaming, you know,” the monster wearing Eddie's face tells Steve, almost conversationally, leaning in low, close enough that Eddie can smell the iron of Steve’s blood.

out of an orange colored sky | Fallout TV | Cooper/Lucy | 3,112 words | “Sweetheart,” he tells her, voice as smarmy and smug as he can make it. “You really think that a man could make it to my age without the use of his cock?”

WIPS | UNPUBLISHED | ORIGINAL

April & May

STUFF

Fanmixes/Spotify Playlists/Graphics

April & May

Probably stuff?

FIC RECS

April

Last Man Standing by GriefAbyss | Stranger Things | Steddie | 15k | Steve asks Eddie to teach him how to play D&D.

The One in Which a Time Loop is Fucking Exhausting by badpancake | ST | Steddie | 41k | “Steve, how many loops have you been through?”

Scared Stiff by blipblot | ST | Steddie | 6k | “Green, sir,” Steve slurs out breathlessly before everything comes to a screeching halt.

honeymoon phase by Ayes, coincidental, itskleo | ST | Steddie | 36k | Eddie is all set to be Steve’s best man— until his wedding is called off. Determined not to waste his honeymoon, Steve convinces Eddie to tag along.

Behind Your Teeth by entanglednow | ST | Steddie | 4k | Eddie heads back into school to pick up something he forgot, and his day pretty much goes off the rails after that, but he does find out what it feels like to be pinned to a wall by Steve Harrington.

Pet The Dragon by beetlesandstars | ST | Steddie | 5k | And just like that, Eddie pulls his boxers down just a smidge too low.

heaven cannot wait forever by Anonymous | ST | Steddie | WIP | 16k | Steve is a spoiled socialite brat who buys his way into college, and Eddie is the edgy arts professor who makes him work for it.

🪑 by teddywesworl | ST | Steddie | 30k | It’s incredibly normal. It doesn’t feel like Steve just asked Eddie for the weirdest favor of his life. That’s how he knows he asked the right guy, probably.

He Knows Only Two Stories by teddywesworl | ST | Steddie | 19k | “How do you spell comfrey?” he says.

Insta-heart by slipgoingunder | Star Wars | Shh it's the bad ship | 17k | Ben Solo is an Instacart shopper's worst nightmare: rude, demanding, and extremely particular about his produce.

save a horse (ride a cowboy) by Della19 | Fallout | Ghoulcy | 1k | On the road to New Vegas, they make good use of the RadAway.

May

You know what to do, when it gets hold of you. by lady_lostmind | ST | Steddie | 17k | Steve Harrington is acting weird and Eddie Munson notices.

Hades' Dogs by teddywesworl ****** | ST | Steddie | 16k | “Sweetheart, I am a cybernetically enhanced supervillain in a one-window cell in outer space,” he says. “I’m not exactly out here thinking about whether it’s socially acceptable to ask my hot guard about his mysterious backstory.”

Sleight of Hand by smithereen | ST | Steddie | 143k | Steve needs a weed dealer. He gets a bit more than that.

when everyone is in, are you in? by 02tilt | ST | Steddie | 19k | “Hey, don’t be sorry for me,” Eddie shrugs, a shit-eating grin obvious in his voice, “I’m just surprised you didn’t whack that thing on the doorframe on your way in.”

don't you hear me howling, babe? by occasional_loverboy | ST | Steddie | 50k | In the fall of '91 Steve comes home - and the past finally catches up to him.

Did You Say You'd Been Here Before by HawkinsLocal | ST | Steddie | 43k | He knows what happens if he stays: they finish the set, he passes out at the bar or in the road or in a shitty motel room, wakes up in the alley and starts the whole thing over again.

land among the stars by theamazingbard | ST | Steddie | 38k | Natural Compatibility is the rare but organic phenomenon that ties two people together emotionally and physically.

keep you like an oath by griesly | ST | Steddie | 31k | Guitar god Eddie Munson, member of the world famous metal band Hellfire, needs help getting through a heat and keeping it secret.

Softness, Steve Harrington, and Other Unattainable Things by fayfayfay | ST | Steddie | When Steve Harrington takes a few days off and emerges as a fully fledged male omega, students and teachers alike are surprised he hasn’t been secreted away to a convent or boarding school specifically for his kind. No one knows what to think of him… except for Eddie Munson.

you're a cowboy like me. by papernautilus | Fallout | Ghoulcy | 14k | “Of course they’re creeps,” Cooper says, “they eat people.”

Somewhere it Hides a Well by teddywesworl | ST | Steddie | 7k | Eddie ducks his head briefly, a gesture that doesn’t quite fit with the guy’s overall image: buzz cut, obvious ink, scars on his jaw.

Who Shall Sing Me Into Deathsleep by teddywesworl | ST | Steddie | 38k | Eddie snarled, and the depth of the sound sent a shock through Steve, and his surprise was such that he stopped fighting altogether and really looked at his attacker for the first time: of a height with him, though leaner. Stubble on the strong chin. A dusting of black hair on the back of the hand that held the knife that was suddenly pressed against his throat. Wild, dark eyes, gleaming with death.

FANVID RECS

April & May

N/A

MUSIC RECS

April & May

Probably stuff?

[bloody-cupcakes]

omg wait what about dark reader play fighting with jd until you have him pinned to like the bed or something and teasing him when he starts to get turned on?

I think I'm starting to make the reader meaner and meaner with each one of these asks, and I don't even feel bad about it. Also I had to cut jump the scene to right after they started play fighting because I have no idea how to write that honestly 😭

Tw: yandere/dark content, gender neutral reader, noncon/dubcon elements, heavily suggestive, play fighting, brief grinding, mean reader (they make fun of JD for being horny), swearing, JD's a little bit of a pervert in this one

"Aha, got you!"

A proud grin was on your face as you successfully pinned JD down to the bed. He seemed a little miffed about "losing", only agreeing to do this in the first place because he thought for sure he'd win.

"Yeah, great," he grumbled with an eye roll, squirming slightly at the way your hands were holding down his wrists. "Now get off."

"Wait a minute-"

He scoffed in annoyance at your refusal to move right away, starting to feel more and more frustrated by the second. As you would soon come to find, that wasn't the only thing he was feeling currently.

"-dude, are you hard right now?"

He felt his face heat up at your question, trying to ignore just how much the answer was clearly yes. He could feel it, and now you could feel it, too.

But he didn't want to admit it, so he decided to lie through his teeth instead. "N- no..."

"You sure about that?" You smirked while pressing your knee further into his crotch, feeling the way his cock seemed to jolt forward and stiffen up in his pants at the action.

"St- stop-" He mumbled as he turned his head away, avoiding your gaze while his cheeks flushed bright red.

"Oh my God, you are." A sudden laugh erupted from your throat the moment you realized just how aroused he was, which did nothing but make him feel more embarrassed.

"S- shut up! It's not funny!" He tried to protest, the scowl he had on his lips immediately falling away when your knee forcefully rubbed against his groin.

It was now your turn to roll your eyes at him and the way he was acting. "Oh, don't be such a baby. You're fine."

"I- I'm serious, knock it off-" He tried to push you off him but you had firmly planted your body on top of his, your hands still pinning down his wrists at his sides.

"Or what? You'll shoot me?" You openly mocked, giving him a look of feigned fear. "Oh no, I'm so scared."

The embarrassment he felt about the current situation was quickly beginning to give way to another emotion he was much more well acquainted with: rage.

"Yeah, you know what? I just might."

If it had been anyone else, they would've gotten off him immediately. Hell, if it had been anyone else they wouldn't even risk play fighting with him to begin with.

But you weren't just anyone else, meaning you weren't scared of him, so despite the glare he was staring up at you with you did the exact opposite of what someone else might do and ignored him.

"Y'know, if I had of known you'd get so worked up over something as simple as play fighting-" you leaned down closer so that your face was mere inches away from his "-I would've done this a long time ago."

"Fuck you," he spit out angrily through gritted teeth as he tried his best not to give in to the arousal that was coursing through his body.

Merely shrugging, you responded calmly with, "Well, I mean, if you insist. I wasn't planning on going any further here, but if you really want to-"

Starting to become sick and tired of your teasing, he attempted to push you off him for a second time. Unlike when he first tried to do it, it actually worked, but that was only because you willingly let go.

You snickered in delight at his red face and heavy breathing, watching as he tried to pull himself together between all the dirty looks he shot you. It was clear you weren't worried or bothered by his anger from the way you casually leaned back, relaxing as you rested your hands behind your head.

"The next time you get hard from me being that close to you, I'll force you to cum in your pants for being such a dirty little pervert."

JD had no idea whether your words were meant to be a threat or a promise, and although he knew he should feel offended by them he couldn't help the shiver of pleasure that ran down his spine.

He could only hope you hadn't been able to tell how he did actually cum in his pants, which was why he shoved you off him in the first place.

If you knew just how difficult it was for him to be close to you without getting a hard-on, you'd never let him live it down.

[somnimagus]

-blonde horror protagonist's abrupt and incorrect assumptions about blonde people

[id in alt]