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yuseirra · 2 months

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Commentary on Ai and Kamiki's character

I just can't shut up about them, can I? Since the new chapter will be dropping in just a few days from now (and I personally think there will be more reveals) this is probably going to be my last chance to discuss about them before things get clarified and set in stone once and for all (since we NEED to learn about just what HAS been going on about Ai's bf and his motives!! It's going to be shown to us in this final arc, right)

Here's how I feel about Ai/Kamiki as a character so far from all the things I've seen about them. Let's see how much of it will stand by the end of this manga(and/or the upcoming chapters)

I think they're well-written/would be well-written. I like how Ai's written for one thing, and Kamiki's past made a lot of sense to me, I think it can add on to something really interesting. I thought I got where it's going to get at.. that's why I've been drawing them so much since the latest chapter... hope I will be able to retain this interest and passion because having something to be excited and inspired about is a wonderful thing!

The following post was originally written in a different language and translated in bulk by ChatGPT! Thanks, ChatGPT..; you're a lifesaver

I wasn't meaning to translate these posts at first so that's why they weren't written in English but I feel it'd be such a waste to leave these.. I'd love to share it with everyone! 'v')9

There might be various changes when the next episode comes out... so if it's going to be uploaded, it seems right to do it now.

I'm writing a lot, like light writing (when I focus on something, I think about it a lot), and it might decrease or, depending on the situation, increase when the next episode comes out. There's nothing revealed yet, so I end up thinking a lot.

I think Ai is really a strong person. To survive in the entertainment industry, there must be so many things to think about. When I see that character, I think about those things. Although she has a soft side, she fundamentally seems like a character who lives really hard. Thinking about it, she was young herself, yet she protected her boyfriend and helped him escape from his abuser. She endured quite firmly under tremendous stress.

She's the type to bear everything alone... There are many things she endures, and in that situation, she worked hard to reach the top, and she wanted to be a good mother to her children. The most heartbreaking thing for me in this character's dialogue was when she said in her dying breath, "I wasn't a very good mother, but I still think it was good that I gave birth." That was so sad to me. I thought that was the saddest part. She had many thoughts. I noticed she thought she had to earn a lot to provide good education and conditions for her children. Middle school kids aren't necessarily shallow in thought, and while there's a range between people, I felt they were still serious and mature considering their age.

For a character like her, if she were in front of me, I would want to say that she's amazing and went through a lot of hardship. Before pointing out what she did wrong or lacked, I'd like to acknowledge that she lived with a lot of effort and loved those around her. Ai's efforts were not just for herself, but she had a rather humble character, and it seemed her motivation to strive was significantly for the happiness of those around her. Like when she wasn't sure if a dome concert was such a big deal but then thought it must be good since it was the president couple's dream, and she smiled along with them. For this character, what's important is resolving the curiosity about the lack in her heart, and achievements as an idol seemed secondary. That's why her saying she wanted to live with Kamiki and raise children together struck me, because for Ai, being an idol felt more like a means than an end. That doesn't mean she didn't try hard; she seemed like a responsible person who strives to meet expectations in her work.

Ai is a character who, through hard work, perseverance, and talent, eventually gets what she wants. Ai has a great curiosity and desire for areas she doesn't know well. She knows what she doesn't know but has the tenacity to not give up until the end. I think that's a strong aspect of her.

As for Kamiki, since it's unclear what his plans are at the current point in time (although I have a guess), if I were to describe the impression of him until just before he separated from Ai,

He's simply pitiful. He self-deprecatingly said that his relationship with Ai was one where he was unilaterally dependent on her. While he might have depended on her a lot, it seems Kamiki had to endure alone until the point they met. He grew up in such a broken situation that I don't even want to deeply think about what it must have been like... From what we see, it seems he wasn't just harmed by one person. Ai had President Ichigo at least worrying about her, and people to take care of her children when they were born, but Kamiki didn't seem to have a proper guardian at all. His exceptional looks might have made his situation even worse. He was just left alone in the world, and it wasn't just being alone, he had to endure all the malice and exploitation by himself.

You know how some adults appear in the movie arc, like Kaburagi and Kindaichi? This shows that the adults failed to protect the kids. The adults might have been busy with their own lives, but I don't think they can be entirely absolved of responsibility for the kids being in such situations.

Anyway, in that situation, Ai appeared to Kamiki, and I think Kamiki couldn't help but love Ai, who understood, accepted, and loved him more than anyone else. Ai also saved him. The fact that he sought help from someone only a year older than himself shows how vulnerable he was. It's just so heartbreaking. He must have liked Ai a lot... Fortunately, they connected emotionally, and Ai also liked him and wanted to help him. But Ai was powerless. Until just before she had her children, I think Ai tried her best in her own way. When Kamiki came to her, completely broken and crying, she took him in because she wanted to help him somehow.

But it’s sad that Ai couldn't even rely on her boyfriend... This really needs to be shown from Ai’s perspective too. She became Kamiki's emotional support, but it seems Kamiki couldn't do the same for her. However, I think Ai’s defensive nature also played a part... She absolutely didn't want to show weakness. She was a perfectionist. The others also played a part in this, as shown in the song IDOL. she was pressured by those around her to not forgive herself for not being perfect, so she couldn't let herself crumble or break down.

Still, Ai must have really liked her boyfriend. From the content of the video, it seems she was more worried about him getting better rather than feeling it was hard to help him. If she left a request to her children because she couldn't do it alone, that means she truly loved him. Asking her children for a personal favor about her boyfriend (even though he is biologically their father) shows that she was deeply concerned. (There’s a reason she left the request to her grown children; asking when they were young wouldn't have been fair, and adults are supposed to help children, not the other way around. For Ai, anything related to Kamiki was a lingering concern.)

I've drawn this couple a lot recently, not only because of Fatal being.. really obvious to me?? that it should be Kamiki's feelings and that it clicked and let EVERYTHING make sense but also because it’s confirmed that Ai loved Kamiki a lot too. Considering this, I think the storyline is not fully revealed yet. Kamiki is someone Ai desperately wanted to help, borrowing the strength of the protagonists, even. This is revealed not at the beginning but at the very end, indicating his significance. That must mean there are some things that we'll be able to find redeemable about him. Or at least, he must be a character who evokes a lot of sympathy.

Looking at this narrative, if Kamiki is willing to do anything for Ai, it makes a lot of sense. I was holding off on judging the depth of Ai's feelings until that video scene (you see how careful I'm about it in the analysis I've made about Ai), but it’s been clear that he was truly happy with her on his end. When I saw the lyrics for Fatal, I immediately knew it was from his perspective... it’s clear he has deep feelings about her. The emotions in the song matched, so I looked into the song's content, and it was quite unsettling, giving me the strong impression that he took a wrong path. His character was exactly as I thought, so I wasn’t surprised. He suits well with Ai. Isn't the younger version of him, really soft?? Ai isn’t the type to be dragged around. If she had a boyfriend who's younger than she was, she would have acted like a big sister. If he had been older, it might have had a different sort of dynamic, but at their first meeting, he was even smaller than Ai, so instead of her being swayed, I figured he'd have been the one drawn to her. Seeing Ai hide who the father of her children was, yet genuinely loving them purely, suggests that she wanted to protect him. Their relationship must have been good. The calls felt like Ai had the upper hand. However, you can't predict when someone will snap, so until his appearance, it was all speculation. But everything turned out as expected, along with the emotions they had regarding each other.

I don't know the current state of this character, but it feels like something significant has happened. Because of that, there's been a drastic change about him, but it's clear that this character really loves Ai. I keep mentioning it, but from the character's perspective, it couldn't have been any other way. So, I thought, "Wow... the writing was well done." The key point is how far Kamiki can go with such deep feelings and how it might become distorted, deviate, or turn into a mix of love and hate, depending on how it's handled.

At least, as the lyrics suggest, he loves her to the extent that he would do anything he can. I believe that has been made clear, so I think the development will inevitably go that way.

His past is just so miserable that I want to hug him and tell him he suffered a lot. Both him and Ai. And I want to arrange for them to be protected by adults who can give them lots of love and care in a clean, good environment. It’s no wonder Kamiki felt like there was no one in the world but him and Ai, which is such a sad situation... But there must be lonely kids like them out there. I hope those kids can receive the love they deserve.

I was actually a bit interested in the area of social welfare. However, it’s a very tough path, so I didn't dive so deep into it... While reading the manga, my thoughts wandered in that direction because the characters were in such vulnerable states. This sort of situation isn't 100% fiction.

I once did volunteer work in education, and honestly, the kids who have gone through tough times are much more mature and resilient than I am... They know things I don’t, and I believe that. But they are still young. It’s not about underestimating or dismissing them; at that age, they shouldn't be experiencing such things... It's an age when they should be receiving love.

In my opinion, the likelihood of major character inconsistencies or setting errors with the protagonist’s parents is quite low. The scenes they get are significant but short, so the characters are likely to come out as initially planned. And honestly, how cunning or wicked can two middle school kids be? This isn’t pure fantasy; the manga heavily borrows from reality. So, I liked how their past was revealed in this manner. The key is how things will unfold next, and it’s hard to predict completely.

When I first heard the song IDOL, I immediately thought, "Oh, this character is really struggling." (I mention this a lot but) I can't claim to understand everything since I haven't led such a turbulent life, but I still felt sorry for them. If I were in that character's position, I don't know if I could have lived as earnestly... However, when considering why the character made such choices, I can sense that it seems to come from their own efforts and concerns. Many situations arose consecutively, and I think Ai, as a character, tried her best within them.

And Kamiki is really something else. When he was breaking up with Ai, I didn’t mention much about what he heard, but Ai is really sharp. Even if she didn’t know what the consequences would be later, she said exactly what she needed to achieve her desired result (Kamiki leaving her). It wasn’t cursing, but the words were very cruel. I predicted that he wouldn’t be able to hold onto Ai when they broke up, even before the episode was revealed... LOL. But he ended up hearing such devastating words that he couldn't say anything back and was just left dumbfounded. Those words must have really hurt. I even felt emotionally wounded along with him! Ai is truly remarkable... When you watch the video, you can see that she really loved him, but to be able to say such things to someone she cared about... I don’t think I could do that because it would break my heart. As I mentioned when analyzing Ai, she just did what she thought was the best. She didn’t like herself very much, so it was more important to protect him from the burden of being with her than worrying about him hating her.

Kamiki, on the other hand, talked about those words to his son, saying, "Ai left me because she found out what I did, and it was natural and unavoidable." He has no anger. His self-esteem is very low, and he feels very sad. Although he mentioned that Ai had selfish and cruel sides, the first thing he feels is self-loathing... He believes it was natural to be abandoned, and he thinks he has never been loved by anyone. There’s a scene where he is walking hand-in-hand with Ai, looking so happy, and it’s described as if just being with her made him feel like he could overcome anything. But he accepts that she thought of him that way, which is so pitiful, isn’t it?

Would a character in such a state try to harm Ai? I don’t think so. If he were going to be angry, it would have been then. But I think both Ai and Kamiki knew that he wouldn’t retaliate even after hearing such words. This shows their personalities very well. When Ai said they should break up, he's able to suggest that they get married, this character... has no pride when it comes to Ai... It’s pitiful. He must have been like that in the payphone call too. It’s obvious that he wanted to meet again, saying he “clung on.” People say clinging isn’t attractive, but it seems he did so timidly. He probably couldn’t even speak firmly, and when Ai said no, he was likely left speechless again.

What happened to make him like how he is now? (But if you look at his lines, it doesn’t seem like he changed that much. He still says, "Because of me, because of me," in front of that dying actor. He blames himself for what's happened, and I wonder how it happened) I think this character needs to see a psychiatrist. He seems extremely depressed. It’s not a fair comparison, but his self-destructive behavior feels even worse than Aqua’s, and it’s understandable... Aqua still has people who love him, but this person!! He really has no one!!

Seeing the video of Ai and being so shocked... yeah, it's totally a natural reaction for him. He really didn't realize that Ai loved him in the SLIGHTEST. But if we consider whether it was Kamiki's fault that he didn't know, I don't think it was. Aqua showed the video as part of his revenge, but although Kamiki's heart must have been torn and he felt like dying... did he really do something deserving of revenge? I say that’s actually questionable. If he had killed Ai, then "revenge" would make sense, but it seems like he contributed less to her death than what he even told Aqua. Now that he knows he was loved all along, it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction comes out. Sigh.. so they had mutual feelings towards each other, so it's good, right? Their lives have been so unfortunate. Depending on what Kamiki did in the middle, it might determine whether he deserves such harsh words, but for now, that's my impression.

These two characters seem to be well-written (from a constructed perspective). Ai is really well-written, and Kamiki seems that way too. The chance for them to be happy together disappeared with Ai's death... who knows what will happen next...

Songs like "Mephisto" or "Fatal" really seem fitting. That's why I think those songs are related to Kamiki... the lyrics are so intriguing, so there must be something there.

I hope it all ends well.

#oshi no ko #hikaai #oshi no ko spoilers #ai hoshino #hikaru kamiki #spoilers #kamiai #okay.. I'm going back to sleep now..#the past two weeks have been a ride #I've been so intrigued!!#oshi no theories

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jerzwriter · 4 months

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I've written an extensive background HC for Eli, and I have one for Zoe, too, though it's lived only in my head and never made it to paper. This short series is meant to change that.

Series Summary: About a year after the solstice, Zoe Rivera is dreading her upcoming birthday. It's a day that has always been difficult for her, but with the loss of her sister, the only connection to her past, this year is proving to be harder than most. As her friends and found family attempt to help her through, Zoe makes many discoveries about herself, her past, and the future she hopes to build.

Part 1: Ring the Bells That Can Still Ring

Book: Wake the Dead Pairing: Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) Characters: Troy Hassan, Shannon Fox, Angel Savage, Mina Arbogast, May, Feather, original characters Rating: Teen TW: Mentions of death & loss Words: 3,200 Chapter Summary: Angel is excited to start new traditions at Olympus, but Zoe makes it very clear that she wants no part in one. As Eli & Troy attempt to help her deal with feelings of grief, Zoe makes a conscious effort to focus on what she has today. But a trip to scavenge for supplies lead to some fateful discoveries.

A/N: I expect this series to be 3 or 4 parts. I'm participating in @choicesjunechallenge2024 - Threshold, Beginnings, and Endings.

It was a relatively quiet night at Olympus. Springtime had returned and brought a multitude of chores to be completed along with it. Most of the colonists had spent the unseasonably warm day gardening or tending to building repairs impossible to complete during the harsh winter months. It was no surprise that most were petered out and already tucked into their beds. But a small group who weren't willing to let the evening just yet were gathered in the great room.

Troy, Mina, and Shannon were in a corner playing an old game of Jenga that Troy had recently acquired as others gathered around the fire to sing and tell stories. Eli sat nearby, half-listening as he worked on repairing his bow, while Angel lounged on a nearby couch, extremely excited over her activity. Tapping the purple pencil in her hand against her notebook, she exclaimed.

“I’m almost done! I only need to more people!

“Who do you still need?” Shannon hollered over.

“Just Feather and Zoe.”

Fresh out of the shower, Zoe entered the room, vigorously drying her long hair with a towel. “You need Feather and Zoe for what?” she responded.

“Oh! I’m making a birthday list for the colony. This way, no one’s special day will ever be forgotten.

Troy’s eyes popped up and darted immediately to Zoe. His brow furrowed in concern; he wished he could have spoken to Angel just minutes sooner.

“Thank you, Angel. But I’d prefer not to be included,” Zoe replied curtly.

But Angel wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Zoe, we need to include you! Do you think we’re going to celebrate everyone’s birthday except yours?”

“Angel, I said no!” the usually affable leader snapped.

Clearing his throat, Eli placed his bow at his feet and went to Zoe’s side. He was almost there when a loud clattering noise caused him to jump, and everyone turned in Troy's direction.

"Sorry!” Troy blushed; the collapsed Jenga tower crumbled before him on the table.

“How did you manage that?” Mina blurted. “There were a dozen safe moves you could have made!”

“Don’t question it!” Shanon grinned. “This might be our chance to finally win!”

With the chaos as a distraction, Eli locked eyes with Zoe as he took her by the hand and cocked his head toward the exit. Once Troy was certain they were gone, he began to reassemble the bits of fallen wood again.

“I want a do-over!” He complained.

“Not a chance,” Angel laughed. “But I still need Zoe’s birthday. Where’d she go?"

“Yeah, about that,” Troy grimaced. “It’s best to let the birthday thing go with her. It’s... complicated.”

“What’s complicated?” Angel shrugged. “We live in a zombie-infested world. I spent most of my birthdays alone, playing whack-a-mole with them at the mall. I want to embrace the good, and that includes celebrating birthdays with my new family.”

“I know. But you have to understand Zoe’s birthday has always been a touchy issue. When we were kids, she didn’t like celebrating because she said it was the day her mother gave her away, then when her fathers died, she didn’t want to celebrate at all. If not for Ana convincing her, she wouldn't have celebrated at all."

"Well, what did Ana tell her?" Shannon asked. "Maybe we could do the same thing."

"She told her how happy she was to have a little sister, so they had to celebrate the day she came into the world.”

“That’s so sad but lovely, too,” Shannon stated. “With Ana gone now, it must be especially hard for her.”

Troy sat back and ran a hand through his well-coiffed hair, a somber look in his eyes. “This stays here... right?”

“Of course,” they all agreed.

“Zoe’s birthday is coming up soon. May 24th, to be exact.”

“Wow! So her birthday was just before we all met!” Shanon remarked.

“It was on the day we met. You had to be 25 to be a scout, and that’s what Zoe always wanted to be. She insisted on starting her new position that very day."

“You’re kidding! That’s how she wanted to... Oh my, God,” Shannon covered her mouth as the tragic realization set in.

“Yep,” Troy frowned. “Ana died on Zoe’s birthday.”

“Oh my goodness!” Angel wailed. “That’s terrible!”

“It makes sense that she wouldn’t want to celebrate,” Mina nodded.

“But she’s so special,” Angel inserted. “And it seems unfair to celebrate all of us... but not her.”

“We have to honor her wishes,” Troy insisted. “Eli and I have both spoken to her and told her Ana would have wanted her to celebrate. But Ana was the family she had, her only link to her life before the outbreak. If she’s not ready, we can’t push her.”

“We could just celebrate on another day?” Angel offered. “Like November 9th is official Zoe day!”

But Troy shot the idea down. “I think it’s best we let it be, at least for now.”

~~~~~

Upstairs, Eli sat in bed beside Zoe, gently rubbing the distressed young woman's back.

“She meant well,” Eli mumbled. “I can talk to Angel."

“I’m sure Troy already has,” Zoe said, leaning into Eli’s embrace. She didn't like dwelling on the losses she had endured, but sometimes, like now, it seemed impossible to escape. She tried to lose herself in Eli's woodsy scent and the warmth that radiated from him, but the seed had already been planted, and within moments, her tears began to flow.

“I miss her, Eli," she wailed. "I miss her so much.”

“I know,” he comforted. “I know.”

In a world where no one was immune to tragedy and loss, Zoe knew Eli truly understood. The loss of his brother and the loss of Ana had many parallels; it was something that had drawn them together. She reached out for his hand and held it close. It was good to not be alone.

“I hate that you lost her on your birthday... of all days.”

Zoe tried to shrug it off. “Birthdays weren’t important at the Tower. It was rare that they were even acknowledged. But growing up, Ana and Troy always went out of their way to make me feel special on my day, and I did the same for them.”

“Would it help to tell me about some of those days?” he asked.

“Well, Troy always knew how to... find... treats and things we weren’t supposed to have, even as kids.”

“Good ol’ Troy,” Eli smirked.

“Exactly! He’d knock at our door with some cookies or candy in hand. They weren’t even all that good – but compared to what we usually ate, we thought it was incredible! Ana did her best to keep some of our family traditions alive, but she even admitted she wasn’t sure she was doing them correctly. We were so young when the outbreak happened, and with all the trauma, her memory wasn't the best.”

“So you started your own traditions,” Eli said. "That's what mattered."

“I guess,” Zoe smiled. “As I got older, one of those traditions became Ana securing a whole bunch of beer. We’d lock ourselves in our room, drink entirely too much, and act like total idiots. The evening usually ended with us dancing or Troy putting on some sort of a performance.”

Eli shook his head. “Please tell me he kept his clothes on, at least.”

Zoe laughed at the thought, and Eli instantly felt some of the tension in his shoulders drift away. Seeing her suffer was never easy, and her laughter warmed his heart.

“If he did, I was too drunk to remember.”

“You were lucky to have each other.”

“We were,” she agreed. “What were your birthdays like ... after the outbreak?”

“My birthday was in the winter. That was good because it meant fewer zombies to worry about. We could let our guard down a bit. But winter also meant fewer supplies and sometimes storms so bad we were confined to the cabin. Still, my parents found ways to make it special. My Mom made pudding or a cake when she could, Dad would play his guitar, and David always drew something for me, too.”

Zoe snuggled against his chest. “You were lucky, too.”

“Yeah...” Eli replied with a soft smile. “I was. We were. We still are. We have each other... and all the lunatics downstairs. I don’t have my family anymore, but I have a family again. In this world, most people aren’t lucky enough to get that once, but we got it twice.”

Zoe lurched into an upright position and turned to Eli with a half-smile. “Is this where you tell me that’s why I should still celebrate my birthday? I get that. But I'm not comfortable celebrating the anniversary of my sister’s death."

“Of course not,” he replied, pulling her back to him. “That has to be your call. I just want you to remember, there are still people who are grateful you’re here, who love you very much... and I’m at the top of that list.”

~~~~~

The following day, the gang was up bright and early to head out and scavenge. They piled into their old van, and as Troy drove them through meandering roads, it took Zoe back to that day nearly a year ago. Her chest tightened as the dark cloud attempted to envelop her once again. Angel sat just a few feet away. She had been especially quiet this morning. Knowing it likely had something to do with her, Zoe reached over and squeezed her hand.

“I hope you don’t think I’m upset with you,” Zoe stated. “Because I’m not.”

Angel had a shadow of a smile when she placed her head on Zoe’s shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories. I'd never want to hurt you."

“I know that,” Zoe sighed. “My birthday is... complicated, to say the least.”

“I know, Troy explained.”

Troy looked in the rearview mirror, aghast. “Gee, thanks, Angel! What happened to what happened in the great room, stayed in the great room?”

“It’s all right, Troy,” Zoe chuckled. “I know you’re trying to help me.”

Zoe took a deep breath before addressing her friends. "I'd like to give you an explanation. Ana and I had two fathers; our mother wasn't in my life from the start. From what I was told, she left my father one day when he went to pick up Ana from school. He was distraught and happy when she returned a couple weeks later. But she didn't come back to stay; she wanted to let him know she was pregnant. She wanted a divorce, but she didn't want me. But Papa convinced her to have me and promised he'd raise me and Ana alone. She agreed, and on the day I was born, she handed me over and never saw me again.”

“Zoe,” Shanon whimpered, taking her friend’s other hand.

“Yeah, well, screw her!” Angel blurted. “It was her loss! Your Dad & Ana loved you. That’s all that mattered.”

“But how did you end up with two dads?” Mina asked.

“Papa, my bio-dad, was good friends with Sam. After my mother left, he was there to help my father and Ana through. By the time I was born, they had fallen in love and not long after, they were married, and Sam legally adopted us. Ana said they were so happy; our family was complete."

“So the story had a happy ending,” Shannon started. “Until the outbreak, at least.”

“Yep,” Zoe snapped. “But at least I had Ana and later Troy – they became my family, and Ana insisted I celebrated my birthday each year. But now that she’s gone, I just....”

She shielded her eyes when her voice cracked, not wanting others to see her cry, but she was following no one.

Eli and Troy shot each other a look of concern in the front seat as Shanon, Angel, and Mina tended to Zoe.

“I’m just afraid,” Zoe sniffled. “I’m afraid I’ll forget the little I know about my family. Ana was my touchstone; everything I knew about Papa and Dad was because of her, and she’s gone...”

“You’ll remember,” Eli called back. “You’ll remember, and we’ll help you. You can tell us the stories you know over and over again, and we’ll help keep those memories alive.”

“That’s a great idea,” Shanon nodded. “We could all talk about our former lives so we don’t forget the things that make us who we are today.”

“I’m so glad I have all of you,” Zoe declared.

“And we’re glad we have you,” Angel replied as the women embraced in a group hug.

The van wobbled slightly as Troy pulled over to the side of the road.

“Ladies,” he smiled. “And Eli...of course... we’re here. If you want some time, Eli and I could start, and...”

“No,” Zoe insisted, standing up and dusting herself off. “No, we have a job to do. Let’s do it!”

They split into groups to survey the well-picked-over stores and homes on their route. It didn't take long to realize they weren't going to find much in the rubble. Zoe was about to announce they should call it a day when something caught her eye.

Using her jacket sleeve, she brushed a thick layer of dust off a glass counter and smiled tenderly as she gazed at the treasure inside. She reached in and pulled out an old, weathered doll. The poor thing had seen better days but was in remarkably good condition. Her dainty porcelain face and arms were still in tact, and while her clothing was in need of a wash and had some loose trimming, it was amazing it survived this long. Noticing the enchanted look on his friend's face, Troy snuck up behind her.

“Whatcha got there?” He asked.

“A doll,” Zoe beamed. “I remember Ana and I had similar ones when we were little. Look!” She handed the doll to Troy. “I think her clothing is traditional Mexican attire. Papa was Mexican, and I believe my mother was half Mexican, too...”

“I know that,” Troy winked, handing the doll back to Zoe. “And you did have dolls like this growing up."

"I did? How do you know that?" She asked.

"Because Ana had described them to me. She told me to be on the lookout, and if I ever found one, to please let her know."

Zoe took the doll back, a feeling of contentment she hadn't felt in days washed over her.

"I think you need to give her a new home," Troy smiled.

“I most certainly do!"

Home. Zoe couldn’t wait to get home. She wanted to clean her new treasure and reminisce about a simpler time. Perhaps she could find more information in the old encyclopedia Troy put in the library. She looked out the window of the moving van; the sky was now just whisps amber in a field of grey as the day neared its end. Home. She was heading home surrounded by her new family and the tranquility of the moment was cherished... but, alas, short-lived.

“Whoa, watch over there!” Eli yelled, pointing to a shadowy figure lurking on the side of the road. He raised his bow into position.

But as they neared the figure, something in Zoe came alive.

“Eli, wait,” she blurted. “Don’t shoot... I don’t think that’s a drone; it looks like a person.”

“And that makes them any safer?” Eli questioned.

“It’s an old lady,” Shannon snapped back. “She shouldn’t be out by herself at this time of day!”

“In the woods, no less,” Mina chimed in.

“Troy,” Zoe ordered. “Stop the van.”

“What?” Eli spat. “Are you out of your mind.”

“I said stop the van!”

Zoe opened the sliding door and jumped before anyone could stop her; Eli and the others were quick at her heels.

“What are you doing?” Mina asked. “You have no idea who that is!”

"Finally, some logic," Eli muttered.

“It’s an old woman out alone at night, and I’m not about to leave her. I know we live in a dangerous world, but if we lose our humanity - then we will truly have nothing left."

"Fine," Eli said, holding his bow in place. "But I'm keeping this out... just in case."

“Simmer down there, cowboy,” Troy mocked. “She’s hunched over and looks like she is ninety years old!”

“No matter... one wrong move....”

“Excuse me,” Zoe said, startling the old woman at first. “Do you need help? You shouldn’t be alone at night... especially not in the woods. It will be completely dark any moment now."

The woman turned to Zoe slowly, and even in the dim light, with her wiry grey curls covering much of her face, it was easy to see her gentle smile and the kind look in her warm, brown eyes.

“It’s all right, child. I’ll manage. I always do.”

“Do you live around here? Can we at least give you a ride home?”

"The world is my home."

“You don't... you don't have," Zoe turned and looked at the others, but made the split-second decision on her own. "You're welcome to come with us and stay at our colony, at least for the night.”

The woman looked over Zoe’s shoulder at her friends huddled behind her, nodding at Eli, who still had his bow aimed in her direction.

“That one loves you very much,” the old woman teased.

Zoe looked back and rolled her eyes. “Eli, put the bow down.”

“No, no, no... mi vida,” the old woman smiled. “Leave it be. He’s protecting you; you should be grateful to him. But I assure you, I am of no danger to you.”

“Eli....” Zoe repeated, but he was unmoved.

“Not... just... yet.”

“I'm sorry," Zoe apologized. "If it makes you feel any better, that’s how he and I met, too, and now... I love him.”

“That’s good to know,” the old woman chortled.

“Look, if you don’t have someplace to stay tonight, our colony isn't far from here. Come and stay with us."

“Oh, no," she shook her head, the grey curls bouncing in every direction. "I don’t do well living in colonies.”

Zoe couldn't explain why, but something inside her couldn't let this woman walk away. She had to protect her, and no was an unacceptable answer.

“I understand, but just for the night, then. You can wash up, get a good night's sleep, have some breakfast, and be off in the morning if you like. What do you say?"

She looked between Zoe and her friends, and with a polite nod, she agreed for just one night.

Troy extended his hand before helping the woman into the van.

"Hello, I'm Troy. I'm the nice one.”

"Troy," Zoe laughed, playfully hitting the back of his head. "Shut up!"

"We're all nice," Angel grinned. "Even the scary-looking one up front... as long as you're not a zombie or don't cross us."

"I'll take that into account," she smiled.

"I should introduce everyone. I'm Zoe, and you've already been introduced to Troy. This is Shannon, Mina, and Eli."

"It's very nice to meet you all. My name is Adelina."

Shannon was the first to reply. "It's lovely to meet you, Adelina." She gestured to a bag at her side. "We can eat back at Olympus, but there is water here if you'd like some."

"Thank you," Adelia replied, happily drinking the bottle of water in one long gulp. Zoe smiled. Obviously, the woman needed more help than she let on.

"We should be back home in about twenty minutes," Zoe informed. "You can rest if you like."

"Gracias, mi vida. I think I'll do just that."

Adelia looked out at the night sky. The shades of amber were long gone, replaced by a swath of black velvet. The scattered silver speckles were stars, the stars that would guide them home.

Home, Adelia smiled, then drifted off to sleep.

@choicesficwriterscreations

Tagging others separately.

#wake the dead #wake the dead choices #eli sipes #troy hassan #shannon fox #angel savage #choices fanfic #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #choices stories you play #eli x zoe

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hairstevington · 1 year

Text

i can't tune you out (part 1)

Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington

Summary: Eddie Munson is an up-and-coming rock and roll artist living in LA. Steve Harrington (under the stage name HARVEST) has been taking the radio by storm lately. When the fans start shipping them together as a couple, Steve and Eddie consider it an opportunity to boost their upcoming albums. There's just one problem - they can't stand each other. (Link to Ao3)

Part 2 Part 3 - the rest on Ao3!

Word Count: 4.5K

Warnings: Rockstar!Eddie, Indie!Steve, modern day AU, enemies to lovers, slow burn, fake dating/PR relationship, they are both assholes lowkey but they'll get better later in the fic I promise, Drunk!Steve, Nancy is still a heartbreaker, oh look Robin and Chrissy are also here

A/N: Here you have it folks, the much awaited return of Rockstar!Eddie. I've had this story on the backburner for a while now and am so excited to dive into it! Don't worry - I will be updating Flowers and Ink soon, I just got inspired and wrote this first chapter as a little teaser for you all ;)

It all started with a t-shirt.

Steve was playing his own show the night Robin went to a Corroded Coffin concert with a friend from work. He wasn’t upset or anything, because Robin had been to Steve’s shows countless times in the past. Besides, he didn’t like Corroded Coffin’s music anyway.

Apparently, Robin liked the show enough to go to the merch table, where she bought a Corroded Coffin t-shirt, and the rest is history.

“Ridiculous,” Steve muttered to himself. His dryer was busted AGAIN, which meant he had to call the stupid landlord to have it fixed AGAIN.

He’d been so busy with shows that he hadn’t had a lot of time to do laundry, and this was him finally catching up. Of course, the damn thing broke. Now he had no clothes.

He sighed and went to the designated Robin drawer she insisted she have at Steve’s apartment. She was there a lot of nights anyway, so she always kept some pajamas and things just in case. Thank god for Robin’s love of oversized clothing.

He grabbed the first shirt he saw, threw it on, and headed to the grocery store.

Steve wasn’t even conscious of what the shirt said. Maybe he should have glanced in the mirror before he left, but he was tired and just needed to get food for the week. He’d been out of town on tour for a while now, so there was nothing at home.

People were staring at him, but that wasn’t too unusual. His stage name was HARVEST, which was nice because he could separate himself from his music when he wanted to. His persona when he performed was vastly different to the guy wandering a grocery store in his best friend’s clothes, and he liked that. It was freeing. It gave him some semblance of privacy, because most fans of his music didn’t even know his real name.

The more devoted fans, however…

People took his picture sometimes without asking first. That was common. It wasn’t great, but it was common. Steve was never that concerned with looking ugly on the internet, anyway. Although, if people went up to him and asked, he usually said yes if they were nice about it.

It took about three hours for the notifications to pour in. Steve ignored them, at first. His publicist would handle whatever it was. But then, Robin called.

“Steve!” she greeted when he answered. “You wore my shirt out?”

“Uh, yeah?” Steve responded. He looked down to see that it was a band t-shirt. Nothing too crazy about it. “That okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she assured him. “It’s just funny because somehow now people think you’re Corroded Coffin’s number one fan.”

“That’s…strange,” Steve said, confused. “All because I wore their shirt one time?”

“Yeah, well people looked into it and they found out you and Eddie Munson went to high school together -”

“Ah,” Steve acknowledged, starting to understand.

“- and now people are shipping you with him and all that.”

“Wait, what?” Steve’s face fell. “They’re - Like, that’s insane. It’s only been a few hours and - I mean, I don’t even know the guy.”

“Yeah, but do you remember that TikTok you made last year?” she asked. “The one where you took the metal song and stripped it down, sang it in your style instead?”

“Uh, yeah, I think so.”

Steve did that a few times with a variety of genres. He liked taking music to weird and unexpected places. So, sometimes when there was a viral song or sound, he’d put his own spin on it.

“Okay, well that was a Corroded Coffin song,” Robin explained.

“It…was?” Steve genuinely had no idea. He didn’t look into the artist before he’d made the video.

“Yeah,” she confirmed. “You seriously didn’t know?”

“No,” Steve answered. “So, that combined with the t-shirt and now people think I’m having an affair with this guy or something?” He scoffed. He’d never understand why people were so hellbent on creating stories from nothing.

“It’s just the internet, Steve,” Robin replied. “People say all kinds of things.”

“Yeah, but -” Steve sighed, shutting his eyes tightly. It wasn’t just that he was being shipped with some random guy, it was that Steve wasn’t even out yet. It was kind of a whole thing he and his team had been working on. His new album was supposed to announce it, not some random pairing based on zero evidence.

“Yeah, I know,” Robin said. Steve knew she understood completely, even without him saying anything. She knew his sexuality before he did. “I promise it’s not a huge deal. Sorry the internet sucks.”

“Thanks,” Steve responded. He hung up, groaned, and collapsed onto his couch, where he fell into a deep sleep.

“Eddie, we can use this.”

Eddie held back the groan he so desperately wanted to let out. He was on the phone with his manager, Carla, who had just told him that people online were pairing him with some other musician that Eddie had heard on the radio a few times and - yikes. It wasn’t his vibe.

“Use it for…?” he asked, completely nonplussed. He picked up a rubber band ball on his desk and rolled it around in his hands.

“You both have albums coming out soon,” she continued. “So, if you’re dating him then - I mean, think of the publicity.”

“Dating him?” Eddie echoed, confused. “Aren’t we jumping the gun, here? Do we even know if this dude likes other dudes in the first place?”

“No, but you should find out,” Carla insisted. “I mean, it’s HARVEST, Eddie. His music is everywhere right now.”

Eddie knew that much, at least. He didn’t listen to the music when he could help it, but people talked about it all the time. The mysterious HARVEST who wore disguises on stage and left cryptic posts on social media. Eddie couldn’t think of a single person he wanted to date less, and he didn’t even know the guy’s name or what he looked like.

Eddie, on the other hand, had been busting his ass to maintain the little audience he’d accumulated over the last five years. Corroded Coffin started as a high school passion project, then devolved into a more serious band that played sporadic shows in his hometown, and then went through a series of changes and replacements until Eddie was the only original part of it that remained. Well, that and the name, of course.

Eddie Munson. Corroded Coffin. They were pretty much synonymous at this point. The fans he had knew who he was and what he looked like. He rarely used social media, but when he interacted with fans he was blunt and to the point. No games. No mystery. This HARVEST guy kinda seemed like a tool.

“Yeah, I’ll pass,” Eddie said, snapping one of the rubber bands rhythmically.

“Eddie,” Carla prodded. “If you do this, you’ll blow up. Think of what you could do with the money. Merch. A tour. A vacation. A new house. Whatever you wanted, you could get.”

Money sounded nice, but it’s not like Eddie was living in poverty or anything. Well, he was in a tiny apartment in a shitty area of town, but it was Los Angeles. Who could afford anything more than that? Besides, he’d lived in places that small and shitty his whole life. Then again, he’d never had any other choice. Money would give him the choice.

The popularity aspect was also intriguing, because Eddie loved attention almost as much as he loved music. Sure, there were downsides to fame, but he adored the glimpses of it he’d had so far, and it’s not like being around HARVEST was going to turn him into Leo DiCaprio or something.

“Okay, so if I agree to this, what does that mean? Do you want me to DM him or something?”

“Actually,” Carla said. The playfulness in her tone caused Eddie to drop the rubber-band ball, because she only talked like that when she had a creative idea that he tended not to like. “He’s going to be at this launch party tonight that I may or may not have gotten you an invite to…”

Yup. That sounds about right.

“So you want me to crash the party and proposition this guy?” Eddie asked.

“Of course not,” she replied. “You’re invited, so it’s not crashing.”

Eddie had to chuckle at that one. She was a sneaky one, sometimes, and damn good at her job.

“Fine,” Eddie agreed. “Send me the details and I might go.”

“Will do!” Carla responded. He could hear how excited this made her, and he was glad at least one of them was into this whole thing. “You don’t have to do anything too wild, okay? Even if you’re just spotted with him, it will spread the narrative that something is going on. Deal?”

It felt a little gross to go somewhere just to track a random guy down and cling to him for popularity. It was kind of a dick move, really. Then again, Eddie was kind of a dick.

“Deal,” he replied.

“This will never not be the coolest thing to ever happen to me,” Robin said, as she always does when Steve takes her as his plus one to events.

“Yeah, well since Nancy dumped my ass, get used to it,” he teased. “You’ll be filling in for a while.” Steve nudged her shoulder, causing her to laugh. She was wearing this beautiful, brand new jumpsuit. It was pressed and ironed and cost almost a full paycheck. Lucky for her, she didn’t have to pay for it. Steve was doing pretty damn well for himself financially.

The Uber driver pulled up to the bar and dropped them off. Since it was the grand opening or something, the place was entirely closed off and only people on a list were allowed in.

“Name?” the security guard said at the door.

“Uh,” Steve stuttered. He never knew which name was on these stupid lists. “Steve Harrington, and my guest.” He gestured to Robin beside him, who blushed.

The security guard nodded, crossed them off, then opened the door for them to go inside.

“Holy shit!” Robin said as they walked in. The place was nice, even by Steve’s standards. They headed to the bar to order their first round of drinks.

Steve went to these kinds of things pretty often - he’d go, have a few drinks, hang out with people, then do it all again a few weeks later. He enjoyed them, for the most part.

Well, except for one thing.

Steve choosing to do music under the stage name HARVEST was great in a lot of ways. It was kind of like the whole Miley Cyrus vs Hannah Montana thing, except Steve wasn’t gonna show up to these parties wearing sunglasses, a wig, and an ugly vest - his signature look when he performed. He showed up as Steve, who was a nobody, and that felt kind of lame. To everyone else at the party, he just looked like a normal guy. Even Robin stood out more than he did.

Steve had this whole thing where HARVEST rarely posted anything or did interviews, and when he did he was in disguise and using a voice changer. It started as a joke and then just…stuck. HARVEST was a completely separate entity from Steve. HARVEST was all the parts of him that made him popular in high school, and Steve was whatever was left underneath.

He and Robin enjoyed the night anyway. They were handing out some sponsored cocktail throughout the night until everyone was good and drunk. Whatever was in that thing was lethal. Steve had only had two and he was feeling pretty tipsy. Robin was already on the dance floor after one. She’d pulled him to the photo area while a slower song played, urging him to get a picture with her and commemorate the night before she got too sweaty from dancing.

They held up their branded glasses and smiled. The light flashed so bright they both winced, then laughed at their dramatic reaction. When they began stumbling away from the camera, Robin paused.

“What?” Steve asked, confused.

“Eddie Munson is here,” she said.

“Where?” Steve asked. She pointed vaguely in Eddie’s direction, trying to act like she was just playing with her hair. Steve searched the room until his eyes locked in on the curly-haired brunette that the world wanted him to be with, apparently. Eddie was at the bar, talking up some of the other guests. “What is he doing here?” Robin shrugged.

Steve had never seen Eddie at one of these parties before. His band wasn’t really that popular. Their only claim to fame so far was a chorus of one of their songs going viral on TikTok. Then, like an idiot, Steve had done a cover of the damn song, and now he was in a whole mess of a situation. Eddie Munson was going to inadvertently reveal Steve’s bisexuality before his album even came out.

It wasn’t Eddie’s fault, and Steve knew that. Fans were going to say what they were gonna say. But still, Eddie being at the party was a crazy coincidence, considering the circumstances.

Steve took a sip from his third cocktail and decided not to think about it.

Eddie had never in his life been invited to something like this before. He’d had to talk to a guard and get let in, like some bigshot celebrity. If being around this HARVEST guy gave Eddie more opportunities to go to shit like this, maybe it was worth it.

Once he got inside, he went to the bar to get a drink. They were serving some cocktail that Eddie had no interest in drinking, so he ordered a whiskey on the rocks as he chatted with the people around him. They were all nice, although it was a bit too loud to have any actual conversation. Plus, most of the guests were well on their way to being drunk.

All in all, it was Eddie’s exact kind of chaos.

He scanned the room for a man that matched his only reference point of what HARVEST looked like. Eddie had seen a few pictures of him on stage, and his outfits were always a little out there. He had different hair every time, but his absurd style stayed consistent.

Nobody at this goddamn party looked like that.

“Hey,” Eddie said after nudging the person beside him. “You know where HARVEST is?”

He realized as soon as he asked that he probably could have just Googled him to see what he looked like. Whatever.

“Uhh, you mean Steve?” the woman responded. “He’s here somewhere. His date is in this gorgeous glittery blue jumpsuit. Find her and you’ll find him. He follows her like a shadow.” She finished her description with a light chuckle. Eddie turned back to face the rest of the bar and continued searching the crowd.

Okay, first of all - Steve? The man, the myth, the legend known as HARVEST was actually just…a guy named Steve? Eddie almost burst out laughing.

Secondly, he brought a date. Of course he brought a date. A woman, at that. Eddie wasn’t cool enough to have a plus one, but Steve on the other hand…

Wow. Eddie didn’t think he’d be able to find the glittery jumpsuit as fast as he did, but it really was a dead giveaway. It sparkled under the lights of the bar, and the girl next to Eddie was right - it was gorgeous. Steve’s date was gorgeous overall, actually. No wonder he was following her around.

“Him?” Eddie asked, pointing to the guy dancing with the woman in the jumpsuit.

“Yup,” the guest at the bar confirmed. She took the last sip of her cocktail and set the glass down on the counter. “So, do you wanna dance?”

Eddie froze. He wasn’t a huge fan of dancing in public, and he also wasn’t sure if this dance was just a dance or if it was something else.

“Well, I, uhhhh -” he began. “I mean, I’m like - ya know - gay.” She laughed in response, her face red from the alcohol.

“No shit,” she replied. “You obviously have heart eyes for Steve, and he’s dancing with someone else, so let’s go out there and you can make him jealous and I can dance until someone who likes women steals me away.”

Eddie grinned. This chick was dope. He held out his hand for her to take it, and then he walked her to the dance floor. He figured that he could strike up a conversation, get Steve to take a picture with him at the photo area, and then call it a night.

“What’s your name, by the way?” he yelled over the music.

“Chrissy!” she yelled back.

“Eddie!” he responded. She smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but notice how drop-dead gorgeous she was, too. Everyone at this party was perfect-looking, actually, and it was intimidating and weird. Eddie was grateful he'd decided to wear his nicer clothes.

And then they danced. Eddie did his best to jump to the music and twirl Chrissy around. Over the course of the first song she managed to glide them through the crowd and strategically place them right by Steve.

Chrissy was a total boss.

“STEVE!” she shouted, acting much drunker than she actually was. She threw her arms around Steve, who returned the hug with a warm smile. “How are you?”

Steve said something, but it was so loud on the dance floor that Eddie couldn’t hear it.

“I’M ROBIN,” blue jumpsuit woman said. She looked like she was having the time of her life. “NICE TO MEET YOU!”

“YOU TOO!” Chrissy replied. She turned to Eddie. “THIS IS MY FRIEND EDDIE!”

Oh, shit. Okay then.

Robin and Steve just kinda looked at him and didn’t say anything for a moment. There was no equally loud greeting for Eddie Munson, no sir. He immediately felt judged, and almost bolted right out of there. He didn’t fit in with this crowd at all.

“H-hi, Eddie!” Robin finally said. “I actually know you! I went to your show a few weeks ago!”

“Woah, really?” Eddie responded, shocked. Nobody had recognized him here, yet. Maybe he wasn’t so different from these people after all.

“YOU’RE A MUSICIAN, TOO?” Chrissy asked, amazed. Eddie nodded. Suddenly, the most beautiful man Eddie had ever seen approached Chrissy and asked her to dance. He recognized the guy as this famous actor who’d been in a ton of movies. Score for Chrissy, although she was perfect, too, and barely fazed. Instead, she took the actor’s hand and smiled. “GOTTA GO, SEE YOU GUYS LATER!”

And then, she was off. What a crazy life these people led.

Steve spoke again, but only Robin could hear him properly. She nodded, then gestured for Eddie to follow them to a less loud part of the bar.

“Much better,” Steve said once they could all hear themselves think again. The light in the bar was dim, so it was hard to make out all of Steve’s features, but Eddie could have sworn he looked familiar. “So, you’re the famous Eddie Munson?”

Eddie thought for sure he’d heard Steve wrong. Like, he must have, because no way in hell Eddie could be considered famous among this group of people. Unless Steve was being condescending, in which case…ugh. Sure, whatever.

“I - I mean, yeah,” Eddie replied. He turned back to Robin, who he already liked more than Steve. “So, you’ve seen Corroded Coffin in concert?”

“Yeah!” she said, her face lighting up at the question.

“Why?” Eddie asked before he could stop himself. Robin and Steve laughed. “I just mean, you’re not really my usual demographic -”

“I’m full of surprises, Eddie,” she teased. “Okay, so I only went because my friend had an extra ticket, but still.”

“Ouch,” Eddie responded with a laugh, clutching his heart as if he’d genuinely been distraught.

“What the fuck is in these things?” Steve said, staring intently at the drink in his hand.

“It’s basically a long island iced tea with all their cheapest liquor and a splash of sprite,” Eddie answered plainly.

“How did you know that?” Robin asked, amused.

“I asked,” Eddie replied with a shrug.

“The bartender?” Robin pressed. Eddie nodded.

“Yeah. I have this thing where I never shut up, so I tend to talk to everyone,” Eddie joked. Well, it wasn’t really a joke. “Anyway, how many have you had?” Steve’s brow furrowed as he desperately tried to remember his drink tally.

“One more than he should have had, apparently,” Robin said, taking the glass from Steve and setting it down on a table. “I’ll go get him some water.”

She disappeared with no further warning, leaving Eddie alone with Steve. Am I supposed to babysit this guy until she comes back or something?

“So, you and Robin,” Eddie said, shifting back and forth on his feet. He really could not for the life of him stop talking, especially with whiskey coursing through him. “Are you guys, like -?”

“Just friends,” Steve snapped back. He almost seemed pissed at the question. “She’s been my best friend for, god, I dunno, since college.”

“Cool,” Eddie replied. Steve was clearly very drunk, and Eddie wasn’t sure how much of that was contributing to his standoffishness. “Are you okay, man?”

“Why're you even here, dude?” Steve asked, his words slurred. “What made you come here?”

“Uhhh, I was invited?” Eddie answered. This guy’s a real trip.

“So it wasn’t because strangers online want us to be together, and if that happens you get more fame or whatever?”

Oh, damn. While that's exactly what was happening, Eddie sure as hell wasn't going to admit it. To save face, Eddie did what he did best - he defaulted to assholery.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he responded. “I’m here for the same reason you are.”

“So, it’s a total coincidence that I see you at one of these things for the first time the same day people started talking about us online?”

“Maybe I’ve been to a ton of these parties and you’ve just never noticed,” Eddie retorted.

“I doubt it,” Steve shot back.

“Why?”

“Because you’re hard to miss, Munson. Always have been,” Steve replied.

“Always?” Eddie echoed, confused. Then, the lights hit Steve’s face and illuminated it entirely. Enough for Eddie to remember where he’d seen him before.

“Got your water!” Robin announced as she returned. She handed Steve the new glass, and he took it without breaking eye contact with Eddie.

“Ohhhh my god,” Eddie said, stunned. “You're Steve Harrington. HARVEST is Steve goddamn Harrington.”

“Sure is,” Steve replied, his voice even.

“I missed something, didn’t I?” Robin asked.

“I mean, kind of,” Eddie said, raising his voice. “Just a couple years of King Steve bullying the school Freak.” Robin turned to Steve, alarmed.

“Wait, you bullied him?”

“How did you not know it was me?” Steve asked, getting agitated now. “Did you seriously come here to try to mooch off me without even doing your research first?”

“I never said I came here for you,” Eddie replied.

“You didn’t deny it either,” Steve reminded him. “You still aren’t, by the way.”

“Okay, fine!” Eddie relented. “You caught me. I came here to cash in on your fame, like some poor commoner in need of charity, and I didn’t even bother to look you up first because honestly? Your music kinda sucks.”

“Oh, I definitely missed something,” Robin muttered nervously.

“You wanna talk about shitty music?” Steve said through gritted teeth.

“Okay!” Robin interjected, inserting herself between them. “No more of this. It was nice meeting you, Eddie, but I think we should split.”

“No need,” Eddie replied. “You stay, I’ll go. You’re the ones who belong here anyway.” He did a slight bow and walked away, leaving Robin and Steve behind.

So much for fame.

@lemondar93 i thought the whole #steddie thing was a reach but saw them together tonight and uhhhh 👀 idk there's something there

@izzierosieb wait omg at the Frolique grand opening? How tf did you get in??

@lemondar93 suuuuper lucky! Matty was supposed to go but he’s sick and I was backup!

@geegeedaheed tell us everything!!!!

@julijmonroe if steddie is real I will actually lose my mind wtf

@chasityseventeen no fr because we have so little and yet I’m already INVESTED

@belloca123 NOT THERE ALREADY BEING FANART OF THEM AHAHAHAHA

@camerohno Everyone just remember that these are real people and we shouldn’t be speculating about their lives even though they’re obviously secretly married

@lemondar93 LMAO

Steve woke up the next morning with the hangover from hell. After Eddie left, he and Robin stuck around for another song or two before heading out themselves.

Steve never really liked Eddie that much in high school because he was a show-off. He loved making a scene in the cafeteria and he always acted like he was better than everyone else just because he refused to like anything that was popular. Sports, music, TV shows. They were never going to be friends, because Steve usually liked the stuff that other people liked. He used to follow the pack, so to speak, and do what the people around him expected him to do. Eddie tended to do the opposite. Eddie was abrasive and loud and obnoxious.

Back in high school, anyway. Steve knew that people had the capability to change (after all, he sure did), but after reuniting with Eddie at the bar, he was skeptical any growth or development had actually occurred in the last six years.

Eddie was still a dick, and Steve had no interest in ever seeing him again.

He pulled out his phone to see that it was still blowing up. There was a new tag trending - #steddie. Yikes. He’d also gotten even more followers. Then, another update caught his eye.

His new album had double the pre-orders it had the night before.

He’d put his heart and soul into this album, and he wanted more than anything for it to be recognized. He was popular, yeah, but mostly for a couple singles that played on the radio all the time. This album was a piece of art from top to bottom that Steve had painstakingly planned and created from scratch.

Maybe. Maybe this stupid ship with Eddie Munson could be worth something. But not enough to contact the guy. No way.

Steve opened his Instagram and then felt his heart drop.

@nancywheeler: Life hack - date a photographer so you get amazing candids on vacation 💕

It hadn’t even been that long since Nancy left Steve for Jonathan Byers. Well, maybe it had been long enough, but still. Cute couple’s posts already?

Oh, no. Steve wanted Nancy to feel like he did, and he knew what would do the trick. She was always a bit of the jealous type.

God dammit.

(Part 2!)

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@paintballkid711 @abraca-fxckyou @allbimyself26 @jellybabiesforall @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @justaloadofgarbage-blog @alliemunsonsstuff @undreamingscatworld @thefruityfours @hobbitnarwhal @calivanus @wreckmyplans-thatsmyman @antheia @goodolefashionedloverboi @lillemilly @missmagillicuddy @steviesbicrisis @gamerdano @menamesniall eyeslikewildflowers111 @callmesirkay @stringischeese @eds-trashmouth @mnl-enuh @redfreckledwolf @itsanarrum @soulsofstarsliveinyourveins @gregre369 @stevesbipanic @momotonescreaming @aryakanojiaa @wrenisflying @comicmadlover @lilacrobin @itch-my-b0nez @anonymousbandgirl @disastardly @dangdirtydemons @daisyellsong @val-from-lawrence @starryeyedpoet17 @taikawaiteatea @clumsiluni @hollysimone @swimmingbirdrunningrock @witchofhawkins @steddiegarbage @suddenlyinlove @ricekristytreaty @eddielives1986

#eddie munson #steve harrington #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie #steddie fic #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #writing #steve and eddie #robin buckley #chrissy cunningham #i can't tune you out #modern day au

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laurfilijames · 8 months

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All week I told myself that on Sunday, I was going to write all day.

I opened my laptop up for the first time in two weeks. I haven't written a word since I finished editing Expensive and tried for over an hour to work on my series Like My Dreams.

I thought about it all week and have been so eager to continue it, only the words won't come.

I know it's not for lack of passion or wanting to; I think about this story (and all the other ones) constantly.

I've been trying to deny some feelings for a while, or chalk it up to getting too much in my own head, but today it's come down heavier than ever and what is ultimately responsible for blocking my creativity and turning my love for my stories from thoughts into actual sentences.

I'm lonely.

I've never felt so alone.

The Charlie fandom seems to be relatively non existent, or just extremely quiet.

I have no space. No where I fit in.

I'm on the outskirts, trying to find a spot, constantly seeing if there is a way I can have a place for my ideas, stories, and even friendship, and have it hold some value to the others I'm around.

The more I post on here, the less I feel seen.

Engagement on this platform has reduced drastically across the board, and it's effecting so many artists.

It's not about numbers. I'm sure some of you are probably thinking "your last fic has over 100 notes". Yeah. It does. Almost all of those notes are likes, and more than half the reblogs are my own.

What I'm seeking is engagement. Conversation. A likeness and kinship started by a common interest that blooms into simple conversations and thoughts shared.

Comparison is a bitch. I see so many people living the Tumblr life I wish to have. Asks, comments, reblogs of teasers and moodboards for upcoming fics screaming of excitement and praise and how eager they are to read it. People dropping everything they're doing to read the latest chapter of their friend's new fic.

I realize the many reasons why I'm in a different position than they are, but lately it's been screaming at me louder than ever that I'm lacking something meaningful or whatever I'm doing on here isn't enough.

I've tried creating a buzz around my stories. I am aware that most of the time I write for unpopular characters with a smaller fan base, so I set the bar lower but am still left feeling inadequate even when I write for the popular ones. Whenever I've shared snippets of WIPs in hopes to gain some excitement from my readers, it falls short. Usually it'll inspire me to keep going, to write better than ever and make this next fic The Best One that makes me so happy and excited to get out. (For Charlie, I'll say, and write something I'm so unbelievably proud of) and then sometimes it makes me wonder if I should bother continuing at all.

I know I am not owed anything by anyone and no one is obligated to read or comment or anything of the sort, and I am beyond grateful for the comments and support I do receive, and the friendships I've made, old and new.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm getting at here, I just needed to write it down and "talk" it out.

I've been battling the decision to continue writing but not share it. I don't want that to happen, because as much as I write these stories for myself, a lot of the fun of it comes from being able to share it with all of you.

Nothing dramatic is happening. I'm not leaving, and I will be writing again because I'm not at all done with what I have to say about these characters, I just felt this needed to be said and already feel a little lighter by sharing it.

Write your stories, comment on your favourite fics, scream with your mutuals about a photo or gif that inspired something in you, tell your writer friends and writers you've never spoken to but love their stories just how much you do... I promise it makes more of an impact than you know. 💗

#personal

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ghostofbambifanfiction · 7 months

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WIP tag game

Thank you to my darling @oyprongs for the tag!

1. List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

2. An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

3. Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

4. Then tag 10 writer friends!

Titles

1. Choose Your Own (sexy) Adventure

2. Wherefore Art Thou, James Potter?

3. The Viscount's Daughter

4. Everything but the Kitchen Sink

5. Oh god, maybe the wrestling fic idea I had, I can't get it out of my head and my brother's been excitedly trying to give me ideas for it

Upcoming Writing

1. Honestly, I'm just excited to get them talking again. I have one chapter left before they're back in touch and I can already feel the story starting to drag because they're not speaking, much as I loved writing their argument. Also the chaos chapter, which is where I throw caution to the wind in the most extreme way I can think of.

2. Supermarket. Bed-sharing. Christmas present.

3. I'm very excited to finish writing the twist ending to chapter four and the twist opening of chapter five. Two twists!

4. Following a period of antagonism there is an antagonism-shattering heart-to-heart on the chilly starlight beach that I've been going over in my head for a very long time.

5. If, if, IF I were to write this fic, and it's a HUGE if because I have too many WIPs, I think I'd be most excited about combining two of my huge passions in general and perhaps making wrestling more palatable for people who know nothing about it.

I'm pretty sure that most of the writers I know have already completed this so if there are any CT girlies who haven't yet been tagged and want to do this, PLEASE consider this your tag!

#tag game #writing #sarah's choose your own adventure fanfic #WATJP #The Viscount's Daughter #EBTKS

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twice-inamillion · 1 year

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Jihyo’s Concern

1.7k words

Chapter 190

(Important concerns that need to be addressed.)

The group has the day off, and most use this opportunity to rest after completing a successful comeback. The night before, Jihyo asked you for some alone time to clear her mind after a busy couple of weeks.

With Jisoo at her grandparents, the both of you have the afternoon to yourselves, so you decide to go for an afternoon drive.

You drive on the road with a fantastic view of the coastline, the windows down, and the air blowing Jihyo's hair. You can't help but admire how beautiful she is, your future wife. "You look amazing, Jihyo. I'm the luckiest man in the world to have found someone like you."

"You're the lucky one. I'm the one that went after the pursuit; you had no chance, haha," as she gives you a loving smile.

She grabs your hand and intertwines it with hers, "I'm glad we took this time apart from everyone."

"Good thing you asked, it's been a hectic these past couple of weeks, but it's finally over."

"Haha, we did a good job; thank you for Fancy, it's such a good song. From what I could see, Once loved the song."

"Really? I'm too afraid to check, so I haven't been on social media."

"Oh yeah, the group chat has been flooded with pics of Once's comments on the song. You really did an amazing job, Mr. Producer."

"It's only going to get better, I have other songs in mind."

"I know they’re going to be great."

"Thanks, also… I got the finalized song list for the upcoming tour, so you might want to tell the rest to freshen up."

"I'm so excited! I can't believe we are going on tour again but this time, its a world tour. Can you believe it, going abroad to sing in front of international Once!"

"It's to be expected, you girls work so hard; you all deserve the best."

"Thanks, but that has been making me thinking about what we are going to do with the babies. They're growing too fast and are more active than before. I don't think we can bring them with us; the constant traveling from city to city, I don't think they will be able to handle."

"You're right. Three of them are over a year old, and they are going to start to run and throw tantrums; it's going to be hard to hide them. There is also Da-eun, who's only a few months old, and she is still too small to travel internationally. It's one thing to Japan and taking them since it's so close but going to other countries, it's going to be hard."

Jihyo's hand begins to shake slightly. "What are we going to do, oppa? I don't want to leave them behind, but we can't take them either."

"We're going to get through this. The tour's first leg is around Asia, so we won't be too far out. Let's see; we have two days in Seoul, one day in Bangkok, Manila, and Singapore. They're spread out that we'll be back home. The only part that would worry me would be the North American concerts and the last leg of Asia. Maybe we can ask your mom to watch over them for the first leg."

“I can ask, but I also don't want to rely on them too much, you know. I feel bad because it's not just Jisoo this time; its four children. Plus, taking care of an infant like Da-eun with Jisoo and Ari, I don't think it's would end well."

"Hmm… I might have another option, but I don't know if you are going to like it." Jihyo sees your hesitation, "Come on, tell me, don't keep it to yourself. You already opened your mouth, just spit it out," as she smacks your arm.

"Okay, but just keep an open mind."

"Yeah, I'll try."

"You know how I go to the company building for meetings, right?"

"The one in the mornings."

"Yeah, well… there are times when we have a long break in between or finish early, so I shop for groceries here and there. Well… I've bumped into Chaeyoung's mom several times, and we talk here and there. She's sweet and friendly; she even invited me for lunch and asked me about Chaeyoung and the rest of the girls."

"Oh really?” with a suspicious looked.

"Yup, she mentioned how lonely she is at home since her two children are adults and no longer live with her. I feel bad because she gets so happy when I stop by to the point that I even bring her groceries from time to time. She's even shown me some childhood pictures of Chaeyoung; she was so cute when she was small, haha."

"Seems like you have a lot of time on your hands," as she gives you a side eye.

"No, it's not like that. I forgot my main point…" as you try to remember why you brought up the subject in the first place. "Oh yeah, during one of our talks, she mentioned how hard it was for her to raise chaeyoung and her brother as a single mother. She struggled a lot until she enrolled them in a nursery. She said that they liked it so much that she ended up as a volunteering at the nursery as well. I remember her saying that she still does it from time to time, so I thought that maybe we can ask her to watch over the kids since she's more than qualified."

You watch as Jihyo remains silent and gives it some thought. "You haven't told her about the kids, right?"

"No, I haven't said anything. All we talked about was your life as an idols and Chaeyoung. Well, she did ask me if I had something going on with Chaeyoung, but I just said that we like to mess around."

"Wait, what do you mean by mess around?"

"Like playful things, you know, joking around that type of stuff."

"Hmm, okay. That's fine."

"So what do you think? Should we ask her?"

"Hmm, if you think she's qualified, then I don't think it's a bad idea. Will we need to talk to Chaeyoung about it and check if she's willing to do it."

"If not then we can ask Mina's mom. Mina has mentioned that she always asks about the kids, so she might be willing to do it if we ask."

"You're right; with my mom and Mina's mom, I think we can make it work. It would be a win-win situation on both sides; the babies get to see their grandparents and spend time with the grandkids."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. All we have to do is talk to the members about it."

As you reach the final destination, you park the car in a spot that has a perfect ocean view. Parking high on a cliff gives you the best view of both the ocean and the surrounding terrain. "It's been a while since we have been right, oppa." "Yes, maybe a year or two?" "You're right, even before Jisoo."

"Wouldn't it be nice to live near the beach?" as you look at the beautiful scenery. Jihyo reaches for the cooler in the back and gives you an ice-old soda and some snacks. "Here, I picked this up before coming here." The both of you stay silent as you take in the view.

Minutes pass in silence until Jihyo says, "What do you think about moving?" You're surprised by her question, "You mean getting a new house?"

"Yes, the house we have right now is doable, but with Sana's pregnancy, it will be difficult. Mina, Dahyun, and I have our own room, but the rest of us share, so it will be hard once Sana gives birth. We don't have the space anymore."

"You're right. I've been thinking the same thing lately."

"I've been looking online for any houses with rooms for all of us or two houses next to each other, but I haven't had any luck," sulks Jihyo. You try to comfort her, "It's going to be okay; we just have to try a pick harder."

"Just thinking about it makes me so stressed; I just can't help it. Eventually, the babies will need a room when they grow up; it's not like they can always sleep with us. They are going to want their room once they're older."

"This might sound like a crazy idea, but what if we build our dream house? We can buy our own plot of land and build it how we want. Just imagine this, a large house, plenty of rooms, a big kitchen, a backyard, and a playroom for the kids."

The idea of having a house built from the ground up sounds like a dream. You watch as she is in deep thought, thinking of what her future house could look like. "Okay, let's do it. If I want to have a big house, enough for all of us to live comfortably."

With Jihyo in agreement, you tease her, "We can even have a room that we can use to have fun," as you wink at her. Jihyo immediately understands what you mean, "you dirty boy," as she smacks your thigh.

"Haha, I'm just joking."

"No, maybe we should," as she looks at you with a lustful face. She slowly rubs your thigh, "We can have some fun and not worry about anyone bothering us," she said before pulling her hand away.

"I would really it; maybe we can try for a second one," as you wink at her. "Stop, you're going to make me really want one. You know how busy we are right now, so maybe later when Jisoo is a bit older."

With a disappointed face, you accept your fate, "Okay. I'll get on the process then." The both of you enjoy the rest of your evening together as you walk by the beach.

————

Jihyo and Jisoo take a bath together once they get home after a long day. You tuck them into bed, kiss them goodnight, and return to your room.

You look online to see the requirements to purchase land in Korea and compare prices between locations like the city, countryside, and suburbs. While browsing, you remember your friend Samatha from college and give her a call. After a long conversation, she recommends you to a friend she worked with for her bathhouse. Your night ends with you making a list of potential requirements for the perfect home.

#twice #twice fluff #kpop fluff #male reader #twice smut #kpop smut #twice jihyo #park jihyo #twice angst #kpop angst #TM smut

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thequibblah · 7 months

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wip tag!

i'm here at last! but in my defence, i couldn't spoil a surprise chapter drop through this post, right? ty for the tag @oyprongs @mipwrites @possessingtheproperspirit @emeralddoeadeer @isahorcrux (oh dear)

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends! (so sorry i will not be doing this. so sorry)

we are about to use an incredibly flexible definition of "wip"...

TITLES

come together ch. 53 — sickening number by the way. too high. this fic is too long

save me a place — IF i'm even working on it, it might be a sequel to a certain author favourite

unbecoming: a love story — whatever. prequel spinoff whatever if im doing it

untitled modern AU — i think i had a title for this one but i forgot it maybe. it'll come back to me. anyway i'll keep lily's role in it top secret but it is musician james i fear he's a bassist i fear he's launching his solo career

THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

susan dennard calls these magical cookies btw that is how i've always thought of them :~)

chiefly, what happened on friday january 13th 1978? but there are a lot of consequences of 52 that will hit the characters like bricks, which i'm overjoyed to write — some of which have been in the works for 2 years, some of which i made up last month!!!! which is nuts if you think about it!! if i had written 52 in 2022 as i meant to, at least two arcs as of now would literally not have happened!

the first line being "It ends with a flash of green light."

i am very excited to play around in the world of CT outside of the hogwarts setting (and with a mature rating...) — there are a lot of minor characters and events i've been sprinkling in there for this exact purpose

this lily feels a little bit more blunt/cynical than most of of my lilys have been because she's been burned before. she's really going to take no shit from james (even more than usual) and that friction will be really fun to explore. i love their childish spats but i'm also interested in writing adult versions of them who can really misunderstand and resent each other. in my head this fic is the other side of the coin to iwnma, which feels very warm and dreamy and sort of rose-coloured; this is the cold-weather 2 am rainy version of that, with the same pressures of fame and personality and art and ambition but in two characters primed to argue rather than merrily embark on an affair.

this poll is a bit cruel to options 2 through 4 i imagine but:

i'm too late to this party to tag people i think. catch you on the next tag game srry

#i should have a tag for things im tagged in

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theresthesnitch · 7 months

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WIP Tag

Five tags and I gotta do it, right? Thanks @annabtg @mppmaraudergirl @blitheringmcgonagall @jamesunderwater @arianatwycross for the tag!

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

This is going to be... interesting. I'm in a finish some wips before I post new ones zone, so that's super fun for me. So, top 5 by priority:

Chance would be a fine thing - Wolfstar A/B/O fic

The next chapter on this one is ALMOST done. Like, half a smut scene. I've been at like half a smut scene left for like a month, though, and I'm not sure why I can't get this one out. We meet James and Regulus next chapter, which is exciting!

Give Me a Sign - Wolfstar - Deaf Remus Soulmates

This one needs more work. The next chapter should include meet the parents (that the Potters and the Lupins), but what I'm most excited for is writing Sirius dancing around his kitchen, singing and signing to some song on the radio to Remus's amusement.

Summer Boys - Wolfstar Childhood Friends to Lovers

Again, this one is just one chapter, but I think I'm going to have to redo basically all of what I have drafted of Chapter 3. Exiciting things coming: Wolfstar double dating Jily at a carnival.

The Moon that Calls Your Name - Jily - Werewolf Lily AU

Coming up in this one is Lily's first full moon, but also some discoveries she makes when she transforms. 😉

Ignite - Canon Jily Secret Relationship

I've actually been making decent progress on this one recently, which I'm thrilled about. Still no estimated date of return (sorry!) Coming up that I'm excited to write: A second quidditch match plus a surprise twist for spectator Lily.

I know that's five, but I've never been good at following rules, soooooo.....

Lessons in Defense - Professors Moonchaser AU

This one has the most to go, but I've been thinking a lot about them recently. It's probably lowest priority on this list because it've got a long way to go on it, but it is coming! For this one, I'm very excited to get to/write Christmas!

and then tagging. Let's doooooo:

@puuvillaa @tracingpatternswrites @heartofspells @brandileigh2003 @hihimissamericanbi @beautitudes @squintclover @crescentcitytorchwood @synonomy @sliebman10

#snitch is writing #tag game #wip tag #snitch polls

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crescencestudio · 1 year

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Devlog #32 | 06.27.23

Hi everyone!

I'm here! With an Update! This is an exciting one because I am Finally releasing a Full! Game! <3 I will obviously still be talking about Alaris, but I am vibrating with excitement because I can't wait to release intertwine to you all! THE RELEASE DATE APPROACHES

Writing

Because we entered crunch mode for intertwine, this month was mostly focused on continuing to fill out Druk's route and my dissertation.

I didn't make as much progress on Druk's route as I would've liked (I was hoping to FINISH it, but Otojam crunch wrecked my ass). But I do have most of the route finished! At this point, I only have the final chapter to go, so we are Very Close! Druk's route is shaping up to be a really fun one. I like to sprinkle humor into all the routes, but because of Druk's character, there are a lot of funny (at least to me) cast interactions. I hope people enjoy it as much as I do because I have a big fat crush on him now!

Regarding editing, we are just about rounding out the last of Fenir's developmental edits (courtesy of local superhero dev Wudgeous of Herotome) and Kayn's line edits (courtesy of local royalty IF writer Vi of Next in Line). With Fenir's script coming up on the last of the developmental edits, that is basically two routes that are going to be ready for beta-testing after the updated demo, which is very exciting! I am extremely happy with how Fenir's route has turned out after some developmental revisions, and I hope you all like the sweet little (grumpy) baby's route!

Art

Again, most (all) of my attention was on intertwine art assets this month. I was focused on the rest of the GUI, sprite expression, and CGs so that the game will be ready for release at the end of this month!

I'm really happy with how intertwine has come out visually considering the two month time crunch! Many of the playtesters mentioned how they liked the GUI and overall aesthetic of the game, which---for my pea-sized brain that has no object permanence when it comes to compliments---meant the world to me!

Review of intertwine Screenshots (left to right, starting at the top row): Main Menu Screen, Options/Preferences Screen, In-Game Dialogue Preview, Exhibit Preview

For Alaris, I did still get some new backgrounds from Vui, and while they are beautiful, I can no longer share them since they venture into spoiler territory. Sorry folks!

I have a sneak peek of a little Something Something.

Adorable emotes for a certain Something Something! That's all I will leave you with for now <3

Additional Notes

I spent A LOT of this month coding. I re-entered programming hell to get intertwine up and running. There were a lot of features that I coded for the first time, like a texting interface, some animations, and one Special, Very Game-Centric Feature That I Can't Disclose Due to Extreme Spoilers. It was really rewarding to see it all come together, and I am pretty happy with the end result ^^

You don't even know the hell I went through to customize this texting feature

We also have a lovely voice actor for Van, which we revealed on Twitter. Max has been an amazing talent to work with, and I am in love with the way he brought Van to life!!

Finally, I spontaneously ended up working with Orpheo Fenn and Kija of Faefield Productions for a custom intertwine soundtrack. I've been wanting to work with them for a while, so I'm so happy we were able to collab!

No market research this month, except for the fact that I played Tears of the Kingdom a little bit in my free time ^^ I am so in love with Link. Also, I didn't see the appeal to Sidon in the first game, but for some reason in this game, It Clicked. Like I Get It.

That's all from me for this month. Look forward to an intertwine release in the coming days! I'm excited to get back into Alaris full-swing this upcoming month. I didn't think I'd feel this way after feeling oversaturated with them for a hot minute, but I miss my Alaris gang <3 See you all next month, and stay safe!

#alaris #devlog

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m3rricat · 18 days

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haven't been tagged but it seems like an unofficial snippet monday, so here is a bit of what I've labored on this Labor Day, from the upcoming chapter of Advocatus! I'm excited for this one, it's a mix of fluff like this and a whole lotta feelings

----

The whole section looked dignified and serious since all the books were cloth- or leather-bound. Clearly, paperbacks had not hit Sigil yet. But as Wyll glanced at the titles, it slowly revealed itself to mostly be a glut of pulpy novels. Crime, romance, swashbuckling stories. Wyll flipped through a few absently. Ahead in the aisle, Astarion was giggling quietly over a black-cloth-covered one that looked well-worn. He turned it up to show Wyll the cover with a wicked grin. It read, ‘The Cambion’s Caress.’ Wyll rolled his eyes, fighting a smile.

“Oh, don’t turn your nose up at it, darling. I am buying this, and we are doing nightly readings,” Astarion declared, tucking it under his arm. “The prose looks passable enough.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure it’s the prose that concerns you.”

Astarion scoffed. “Wyll, is that what you think of me? I appreciate filth, but I have standards.”

Wyll chuckled, glancing back at the shelves. His eye caught on a red-leather-bound book with gold lettering on the spine, thinner than most of the bulky volumes around it. He pulled it out, snorting as he saw the title. He immediately held it out to Astarion. It read, simply, ‘Sucked Dry,’ with the unmistakable silhouette of vampire fangs traced underneath.

Astarion let out a strangled noise and snatched it out of Wyll’s hand. He skimmed the first couple pages, smile widening. “Oh, yes yes. You have a good nose for high-quality trash, Wyll. We’ll have fun with this one.”

They spent a few more minutes wandering the aisles. Astarion hesitantly asked Tabris if there were any books here that were considered classics in Sigil.

“Didn’t peg you as a reader,” Tabris said as she skimmed the shelves, popping out a couple books for Astarion to look at.

A strange expression flickered across Astarion’s face. “Well. There wasn’t much else to do in my downtime, in my former line of work.”

#wyllstarion #bloodpact #wyll ravengard #astarion #wip #bg3

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moonshine-nightlight · 9 months

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2024 Writing - Plans

similar to last year, i wanted to post a little look forward at my plans for writing this year are. the necessary disclaimer: this is 100% high level, optimistic, ideal situation and subject to change but i still like thinking about it and posting for anyone who's interested. see this post for last years!

so, i like separating things out it mini goals/sections so see below:

Nothing's Wrong with Dale: with DSM self-published under my belt, I'd like to focus on the NWWD publishing journey next! The main obstacles/costs are time and money. Hiring an editor and a cover artist are the pricey-est part of the process but my own edit (first to convert everything from 2nd POV to 3rd POV and then another high-level edit/revise once i've got it in the right POV) will take the most time and needs to be done before i hand it over to an editor. Then after the editor takes their time (and NWWD is much longer than DSM), and finally i need to process all of their edits as well. And i need to do all of this while i do my day job lol.

i've already converted the first 11 chapters to 3rd POV (i hav some IRL friends/betas who only read that version, so if u feel like the tumblr version took a lot of time lol). the timing of being able to publish this year will all end up depending on how quickly i can do all that and kick off the part of the process that depends on outside parties. Even if i manage to self-publish in this year, i don't expect it to come out until lik December and even that's ideal, super best case scenario.

Long Stories: I want to outline both A Perfectly Ordinary Research Position and Shadow Diplomacy and then pick one to be the new long story on here. I do what i call a chapter outline and a scene outline, which is confusing to not!me because the scene = a chapter on here. i should probably rename that process lol. (NWWD was 11 'chapters' and 35 'scenes' for reference).

once i pick a project, i just hope to post as many chapters as i can. Since this will be new, long, and likely just building steam, i actually think it'll be my lower priority after the Short Stories and NWWD publishing, but we'll see. i'd like to start putting that up in June, according to my tentative 2024 schedule.

Short Stories: Since i didn't get as many of these done in 2023 and they've been haunting my brain longer, i want to for sure get some of these shorter stories done. learning from last years overestimation lol, i plan to post 3 short stories: Courtship Confusion, Feral, and finish Free Piano: Haunted, in that order. i'm excited about all these stories and will let me cover 3 different types of pairings (although technically all are Reader) which is fun. All have been outlined and have parts and pieces written. I wish Feral and FPH could both happen in the fall but the timing just doesnt work out so summers gonna b a little spooky lol.

The schedule i worked out makes it so all this will be possible, but also basically has no breaks in sunday postings after my haitus which is beyond optimistic but i lik to start overly confident lol

Hiatus: this is also your reminder that my work has a specific Busy Season which honestly started already (lucky me) and i will b beyond busy Jan-March at a minimum. i hav more projects than ever with my promotion, a lot to learn, and a lot to juggle so minimum 6 day work weeks will be the name of the game - but hopefully all goes well and i'll get a nice bonus i can feed directly to my editors lol

anyway, that's where i'm at right now and I'm looking forward to all the exciting writing and publishing to come in 2024!

Feel free to send in any asks about upcoming/current stories!

Thanks again for all your support in 2023 and Happy New Year!

#my writing #writing status #2024 plans #yearly overview #story status #nothing's wrong with dale #courtship confusion #feral #free piano: haunted #self-publishing #editing #lov to shoot high lol #rly rly thank you for all the support you've given these past few years #i'm still so excited to be doing so much with my original works #:D

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jillsandwhichs · 3 months

Text

cleon fic , chap 7 , visiting

masterlist

pairing: Claire Redfield & Leon Kennedy

summary: Claire & Leon pick up Sherry and spend the day with her

status of their relationship in this oneshot: Close friends w clear feelings

wc: 6.5k

type: Sfw

a/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Thank you

"It feels like it's been forever since we last seen her, I'm excited." Claire expressed, sitting comfortably in the passenger seat of Leon's car. The two of them were heading to Sherry's school to pick her up. This was their first time ever seeing her together and not only that, it was also their first time picking her up from her private school, she began attending it a little while after the Raccoon City incident. Now she's fourteen years old! Time flys by so quickly.

"Yeah, she's gotten taller too." Leon snickered, his hand resting steadily on the steering wheel as he drove 25 MPH, driving towards her school. It was a high security school system too, they had to bring a signed note and their ID's just in case the staff didn't believe the fact they were family friends to Sherry, that's how bonded they were, like they were a small, loving family. "She really has." Claire exclaimed, pulling down the mirror above her and grabbing her chapstick and lipgloss from her small, red purse.

"So... What do you think all three of us will do once she's here? I'm okay with anything, as long as you two are happy." Leon explained, every so often glancing over at Claire, seeing she was applying lip gloss on, it made her rosey pink lips more shiny looking. "Oh, whatever Sherry wants to do honestly. Off the top of my head though we could do something like getting lunch then afterwards we could take her to the pier, last I seen her she told me she always wanted to ride the ferris wheel there!" Claire stated, placing her belongings back into her purse.

"Sounds fun, we can do that. Where do you think we'd go for lunch?" "Oh either Emmy's Diner or we could check out that new burger spot in town... What was it called again?" Claire asked, a puzzled look plastered on her face. "John's. It's literally just referred to as John's. I think there's more to the name but that's what I've heard a few people call it." Leon explained, hoping she'd understand what he had meant. "I see, makes sense. Whichever Sherry chooses, we'll go there, yeah?" "Of course." He nodded.

"Since when do you wear makeup?" Leon chuckled, taking another glance at her face, his cheeks felt flushed although he couldn't pin down why exactly. "I don't, I just picked this up at the store the other day, it smelt good so, why not?" Claire giggled, popping her lips and turning her head to face the windshield. In front of them, all that was visible were busy streets, pedestrians, bright green grass patches, flowers that were so vibrant and beautiful & more. Claire wasn't much of a city girl, but scenery's around the city were to die for. Leon is way more into the city, definitely was made for it.

"When does she get out of school? I'm sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions, I'm just out of the loop." "No worries and around three p.m, so in like ten minutes, luckily, we're almost there." "How will she know what car to go to?" "I'm sure Derek let her know, he's organized like that." Claire scoffed. She was most definitely not a fan of Derek, who is the current guardian of Sherry after both William and Annette passed away in the Raccoon City incident.

"What's wrong with Derek? Isn't it good he took her in? No one usually does kind-hearted things like that anymore." Leon questioned, he didn't know anything about the man who took Sherry in as his own, but Claire knew more. "I mean... He hasn't done anything wrong in particular. He's just very intimidating and mean sometimes... Not to Sherry but the people who work for them and even me before. I don't know, I guess I don't know enough on him to make that assumption." Claire spoke, sighing softly.

The car was silent for a few final minutes. All that was heard was their quiet breaths of air & the radio playing a quiet tune, it was "Running Down a Dream." By Tom Petty, whom just so happens to be one of Claire's favorite musical artists. Claire hadn't been in the same vehicle with Leon since when she had introduced him to her brother ; that was well over a year ago. The two just lived busy lives and never necessarily had the time to spend one on one time together. Today was a perfect chance to do so, Claire had invited him to see Sherry considering Derek had only ever let her do so before today.

Derek was extremely protective over Sherry and while Claire is thankful for that, she wishes she could understand why. Derek claims he knew William and Annette yet when she asked Sherry if she even met Derek or had even heard of him, she told her she had no clue who he was. Either way, he's kept Sherry safe the past couple years so Claire honestly has no complaints. If she could of had it her way, she would've taken Sherry in. Things just wouldn't have been able to work that way though.

"Which street is her school located on again?" Leon wondered, facing Claire as they were stopped at a red light. "Leon, I literally messaged you all the details, how are you so forgetful?" "Guess that's what happens when I'm so tight on a schedule... Now, Claire, which street?" Leon joked, nudging her before pulling his car foward. "Beau street, like three minutes away. You're gonna wanna go straight until you see that Ikea up town, then go left and you'll see the school, it's pretty hard to miss." Claire directed him to where they'd need to go, she was a smart girl, smart with navigation.

Nodding a few times, Leon kept his eye out for the Ikea just up ahead. "Oh, I forgot to ask you, has my brother Chris contacted you at all?" Claire asked Leon, a somewhat worrisome tone filled her voice. "No... Why? Is he alright?" "Probably, well, I hope. He's been kind of M.I.A. Probably just busy with work though, I shouldn't get myself so worked up." "Yeah... Don't forget what happened last time when you went searching for him..." Leon attempted to make a darker themed joke but Claire just didn't respond. Bad move, Leon.

Leon felt kind of bad after cracking that joke. Claire wasn't the kind of person to take things like that lightly. Leon just uses it as a way to cope. "I'm sorry Claire, I didn't mean it to seem like... Mean or something. I just have a hard time accepting what happened, you know?" "I understand, people respond to trauma in different ways." Claire breathed out deeply. She was such a caring and understanding woman. Leon liked that about her, a lot. Leon found himself admiring Claire for the way she is not only for being caring and understanding, but also everything else that's great about her too.

"I respect you, you know that?" Leon stated, sighing out and hoping she'd understand what he meant. They definitely had a mutual respect for one another but it's on a higher level than just respect. They cherish one another. They get each other. You respect your friends, of course, but these two went through hell and back together, their respect isn't just based by the definition of the word but rather the actions they implemented whilst they've known each other. "You respect me? I'd hope so. I respect you too." Claire giggled, giving him a gleeful smile before turning her head away.

"Yeah, I just respect your way of thinking. Just how you are as a person." Leon spoke quietly, not wanting to seem overbearing. "I appreciate that." Claire said with a hopeful gleem in her eyes ; it was as if she had always wanted to hear words like that come from him specifically. "Oh, just up here is Sherry's school, it's the building with the maroon, brownish roof, it's hard to miss." Claire added, making sure he didn't pass by the school. "Gotcha." Leon responded, keeping a lookout for Sherry's private school.

"I cannot wait to get something to eat, I bet she can't either. I just had avocado toast for breakfast but that was at nine a.m, I need to eat." Claire snorted, comfortably sitting but also not so much due to being ecstatic to see Sherry, she felt fidgety. "Well worry no further, I'll have you two girls fed in no time." Leon chucked her a half smile, it's rare to even manage to get a grin out of him. "Are you going to eat as well? You better Leon." Claire stated sternly, her bossy attitude was attractive but Leon would never say that straight to her.

"We'll see, I haven't ate yet today but then again, I don't have much of an appetite." Leon spoke, turning left after he spotted the Ikea he had been keeping an eye out for. "Oh, so it's just up here, correct?" "Yep, then you're gonna have to show the camera out ID's. Derek told me we can park in front of the school, I'm pretty sure Sherry knows which car we're in too." Claire assured him, while Derek wasn't the best man out there, he made sure their visitation was organized to a T.

As he drove onwards, he seen the dark red colored roof Claire had spoken about. She wasn't kidding when she told him it was huge. How many students do they even need to fit in there? Leon found it to be unnecessary. Then again, rich people make unnecessary financial decisions, for the most part. "So do I pull into this gate up here?" "Yes but you're going to need to stop so the camera can check our ID's." Claire explained carefully. "I don't think this much security is needed but alright." Leon chuckled, snagging his ID from the center console.

The gate was large and black, it look intimidating. It was as if they were about to enter some gothic, mystical castle, but it was just a school for crying out loud. "Give me your ID." Leon requested, holding his hand out to hers. His hand was significantly bigger than hers, he noticed that. "Here you go." Claire whispered, her finger colliding with his hand as she gently placed her ID into it. The man rolled down his driver seat window and looked at the speaker merged into the brick wall along the gate. With it was a small camera, almost like one that would be attached to a doorbell.

A voice began to play, it sounded like artificial intelligence. Is this place fancy enough to afford that? Damn... "When ready, please show your personal ID(s) to the camera above, once done, wait for the clear to proceed forward." The automated voice spoke, it sounded like your average news reporter or receptionist. "What is this techy bullshit?" Leon muttered to himself, taking both his and Claire's ID's, aiming them to face the small camera. He kept them there til a quiet beep noise was heard, then the sound of the gate as it slowly retracted open. "High security my ass." "Well, Leon, the people in the office most likely see our ID's and knew we are here for Sherry." She claimed.

It was currently two-fifty-eight p.m, Sherry will be out any minute. Both of them were glad they were able to do this with her. Sherry didn't deserve what happened to her back in Raccoon City. She was just a little girl. Both Leon and Claire plan to do as much as they can with her to make it up. Sherry views Claire as a sort of mother figure and Leon as a fatherly one, although Derek plays more of a role in that. Either way, Sherry admires them both and is grateful for all they have done for her.

Multiple cars already made their way into the parking lot, taking their place and waiting for their children to be out of school for the day. Leon's never done anything like this before but deep down, it felt sort of nice. It felt like he was a dad. He definitely isn't ready for a child yet but he's contemplated it. He's just never found the right woman. Hopefully in the future he'll be able to. "I feel like a dad picking up his daughter from school." Leon joked, parking his vehicle a couple spots down from the front door that lead out of the school.

"That's funny... Do you ever want kids someday?" "Someday, yeah maybe, but til then, no." Leon stated. "I don't think I'd make a good father." Leon expressed, soughing aloud. "Oh Leon, that's nonsense, I've seen how you are, you would make a good dad, trust me." Claire comforted him, along with her affirming words, she placed her soft, delicate hand upon his as it rested on the center console. "You'd make a great mother, I mean, look how you are with Sherry... Were you ever a babysitter? Like whilst you were in High School or College?" Leon asked, his question genuine. He was curious, that's all.

"Actually, yes! Chris has this friend, Barry, and he has two young girls. Their names were Polly and Moria. Moria was closer in my age but Polly was a whole lot younger. I watched them from time to time and Moria actually wants to join TerraSave eventually. Obviously she can't right now." "I knew it." Leon snickered. He suspected she's always had some experience with children to some capacity. "You're a dork." Claire teased, smiling at him, her cheeks a light pinkish shade.

Interrupting them, a loud ringing bell was heard, indicating school was officially out. "Here we go, tons of kids just flying on out." Leon sighed, making sure he kept a look out for Sherry. It doesn't help at this school, they're forced to wear uniforms. "I was told Sherry has her hair up today with a pink headband so I'll make sure to spot that out." Claire said, rolling down the passenger side window and sticking her head out of it, the relaxing breezy wind instantly hitting her divine facial structure.

Facing the same way as Claire, Leon also made sure to attempt to look for Sherry in the crowd of students. There weren't as many as Leon had expected but still, there was a good chunk of kids running out of the building and searching for their guardians. "Is that her?" Leon pointed to a young girl. "Definitely not, Sherry isn't that tall." Claire snorted, remaining in her same position.

As the last crowd of students came out of the school, Claire soon seen Sherry in all her glory, she looked adorable! Claire was beaming at the fact she was able to see Sherry today, it had been a month or two since the last time she visited her. Sticking her head further out the window, Claire shouted out to the young girl. "Sherry! Sherry, over here! It's me and Leon!" Claire spoke loudly, waving her hand to her, nudging for her to come over to the car. "Claire? Leon!? I'm coming!" Sherry replied, her tone louder as well as she sprinted for the car.

A radiant look was all over Sherry's face. She was clearly glad to see the two of them. Leon clicked the 'unlock' button for the backseat doors, allowing her to enter the car swiftly. Sherry opened the door behind Leon's seat and climbed in, her smile was infectious. "Hi! How was school Sherry?" Claire questioned, facing Sherry and grinning at her kindly. "Claire, why are you guy's?" Sherry completely disregarded Claire's question, she was too excited to even process what she said.

"Well, me and Leon missed you! Did Derek not tell you we were coming to see you?" "No, he just told me to look out for a specific colored car... I didn't expect it to be you guy's!" Sherry exclaimed, her bright cheerful smile was the absolute cutest. "Oh, that's weird, he was supposed to. Either way, aren't you happy to see us?" "Very much so. Hi Leon!" Sherry spoke sweetly, buckling herself in. "Hey Sher-Bear, how are you and how was school?" Damn, he really was talking like he was a father.

"I'm great and school was okay, just learning about ecosystems, which I love animals so." Sherry spoke, she was so cute when talking about things she enjoyed! "That sounds entertaining." Leon spoke, trying to have glee in his voice but he just isn't great with his emotions. After a couple moments of silent, Claire began to speak and explain what they were going to do for the day. "So, Sherry, we were thinking we could go get some lunch and afterwards go to that ferris wheel on the pier you were telling me all about, does that sound like a plan?" Claire asked, her lips curled into a gentle smirk. "Oh, yes, yes it does, I'm very hungry and I think the lights on the ferris wheel will be on by then!" Sherry was clearly delighted with the idea Claire presented.

"To begin, where would you like to eat? We can either go to Emmy's Diner or that new burger place, John's. Have you been to either before?" Claire asked, wanting to see if she's had experience at either or. "No, neither actually... What's at Emmy's?" Sherry wondered. "So, they have practically everything. Any food, you name it, I guarantee they have it." "And what does John's have?" "Off the top of my head, they mostly serve meats as in burgers, hot dogs, tenders and more. Not as much of a variety." Claire stated. "We can do Emmy's then!" Sherry chose the spot they were going to eat at. "Alrighty then, sounds good." Claire responded, turning back to face the front of the car, buckling back up.

"Emmy's is out by the local Church, yeah?" Leon asked Claire, beginning to drive out of the parking lot and back out onto the road. "Yes, it's just across from it. That's why they host so many events there. Sherry, does Derek take you to Church?" Claire questioned her, wanting to check out whether or not Derek had religious beliefs. "Oh, Church? Sometimes. Usually though he just goes there to talk to some random men, I just usually sit in the front area." Sherry told Claire, it made her a bit skeptical. "Ok then..." Claire tittered out, wondering who these men were and why of all places Derek was deciding to meet them at a Church.

"By the way Sherry, just so you don't worry, Derek said he'll pick you up from the pier once we're all done, okay?" "That's fine." Sherry replied, placing her backpack down on the floor of the car, facing forward and seeing the buildings fly by as Leon drove them to the diner. "I am so hungry, I can't wait to eat." Claire expressed, gazing at Sherry through the mirror. "Me too!" "What did you eat at school?" Leon asked Sherry, wondering if she even got to eat anything. "Well, I didn't really eat anything. I just had string cheese and a few apple slices." Sherry responded. "I don't eat at school, I usually wait till Derek gives me a snack at home or gets me dinner." Leon and Claire stayed silent momentarily.

"Does he feed you everyday? At least dinner?" Leon questioned. Leon wasn't so sure of this Derek guy, he wanted to make sure he was taking proper care of Sherry. "Yes, sometimes he just tells me to wait until breakfast though but that's rare." Sherry vocalized. "Are you saying you sometimes come home from school and just don't eat?" "Well, yeah, it's fine though, I always get breakfast." Sherry tried to console what she had said but Leon was going to have a serious word with Derek.

After Sherry finished talking, Claire gave Leon a very particular glare, as if she was upset. "We'll get it figured out." Leon whispered to Claire, moving his hand from the steering wheel and to squeeze her hand for a second before moving it back, using both hands to steer. "Yes, yes we will." Claire uttered quietly to him. Claire was suddenly in a different mood ; it was as if someone had disturbed a mama bear protecting her baby cub.

"Emmy's Diner is just up here, turn right at the post." Claire spoke louder now, not wanting to seem as though her and Leon were being secretive. "Alrighty..." Leon mumbled, getting ready to turn right. "You ready to get some food in your belly?" Claire asked Sherry, lightening the mood as much as she could. "Yes, I really am. I wonder what I'll eat." "You can get anything you'd like, it's on us." Claire responded, giving Sherry a lot of freedom. This was all about her, Claire will always try her best to make hers and Sherry's time together. Well, now hers, Leon's and Sherry's!

Once Leon reached the post, he turned right and spotted the diner they had decided to dine in at. "Do I just park alongside the road?" "Yes, just make sure you don't hit the curb." Claire tittered, pointing to the curb right by the parking spaces. "I have hit one to many curbs in my lifetime, sometimes I wonder how I haven't gotten my licence revoked." Leon chuckled. Claire and Sherry both let out small laughs. Leon felt accomplished with the fact the two found him amusing.

Parking the car in a diagonal position, Leon took his keys out of the ignition and placed them into his leather jacket pocket, glancing at both Claire and Sherry. "You two ready?" Leon asked, his tone friendly. "Yes." The two of them spoke in unison. The man nodded and opened his car door first, then he opened up the young girls door. As Sherry got out, she stretched her legs and viewed the area they were in. She was never downtown much and it felt like a whole new world.

Leon jogged over to Claire's door, opening it for her and helping her out of his car. "I guess chivalry isn't dead." Claire snickered, taking a hair tie from her purse and pulling her healthy, brushed hair into a ponytail. "Claire, you're so pretty!" Sherry admired her openly. Little girls always have a tendency to look up to the beauty of women around them. It's adorable. "Aw, thank you Sherry, you're a cutie." Claire complimented her back, patting her head with a gentle touch.

Pushing the doors open, Leon allowed Claire and Sherry to walk into the diner first before he then followed behind them. It was packed on the inside. The sound of workers speaking to customers was heard almost immediately after entering the establishment. Great, tasty aromas were filling the building, just one deep breath almost felt as though you were eating rather than just sniffing it. Forks and plates clanked all over, either from locals eating or waiters/waitresses bussing a table.

The walls were decorated too. The diner had been around for many years, both Leon and Claire have been here before but it had been so long. There has definitely been some updates and adjustments. The walls had random paintings all over them. One wall that was visible when you first enter in had a train on it, along with a wooden platform featuring people traversing onto it and or off of it. Whilst another wall featured a snowy pathway with lamp posts littered all along it.

There were no tables that were in the center of the room, each table was drilled into the wall like a booth, each seating arrangement was a couch-like seat, a cushion if you will. Practically, all the tables were booths. The diner was old school but not to the extent of the fifties. "Let's go get a table." Leon spoke to them, leading them to the back area of the diner. He spotted a perfect table near a open window, a light flowy breeze slithering through the crack of it. It was gonna be extremely nice to sit by.

Claire and Sherry sat side by side while Leon sat across from them, he allowed the girls to take the breezy side, wanting them to be as comfortable as possible. He was a noble man. "Where are menus?" Sherry asked, seeing the empty table that only had a salt and pepper shaker on it. "Oh sweetheart, this isn't like other restaurants, we just have to wait for a waitress or waiter to come up to us." Claire spoke kindly to her, helping her understand.

"Have you decided whether or not you're going to eat?" Claire asked Leon, giving him a kind gaze. "Yeah, why not? I'd rather eat now than later, Lord knows I hate cooking." "Good to hear." Claire chortled, glancing at Sherry. "I haven't been here in quite some time. I usually just cook at home or I'll eat over at a friend's." Claire spoke, looking out the window. Large buildings were everywhere in the city, they were mesmerizing.

As the three of them were conversing, a waitress walked over to their booth. Her name tag read, 'Candice'. "Hi, I'm Candice and I'm going to be your waitress this afternoon, I'll leave you three to scan over the menus but before I leave, do you know what you'd like to drink? Our options vary from water, to soda and for the little ones, juice or chocolate milk." Candice spoke, she had a bubbly aura to her.

Claire began to speak considering she was the most extroverted out of them all, "I'll just take a water and Sherry, what would you like?" "Apple juice, please." Sherry requested with a sweet tone. Candice was writing down their orders, then turned her head to Leon. "I'll just have a Coke, non diet please." Leon stated, he seemed awkward but maybe he just struggled socially. "Okay, I'll have those out to you here soon, in the mean time, please take your time and decide what you three would like to eat." The waitress spoke, nodding speedily before trotting off to the back.

"Okay Sherry, let's start with you, anything on that menu sound interesting? If you don't want a younger kids meal, I'm more than glad to get you something else." Claire offered, wanting to allow Sherry to continuously have that freedom she mentioned earlier. "No, that's okay! I'd like the fish sticks with a side of fries, if that's okay..." Sherry spoke shyly, both Leon and Claire found it sweet, her manners were off the charts.

"Well of course that's okay! Tell you what, I'll get you ice cream at the pier to, how does that sound?" Claire said with a smile on her beautiful face. "I'd like that so much." Sherry admitted. Claire nodded with glee before taking a look at the menu herself. "They have a lot of options, I honestly can't decide. Have you decided yet, Leon?" "Not yet, I am debating between a burger or a country fried steak though." Leon contemplated. "Okay." Claire uttered back.

Both of them eyed down the menus a bit longer, choosing what meal they wanted to order before Candice came back around. "Yeah, you know what, I'll get the Mongolian style beef with broccoli, I didn't think they'd have it here but it's pretty tasty from what I remember. How about you?" Claire spoke, then questioning Leon. "I've settled on the country fried steak, it comes with some vegetables so balance." He snickered, smirking at her. His smirk left a warm feeling within her.

"Okay, okay, all settled." Claire said with a relieved tone. "Sherry, I didn't take you as the type to like fish." Claire randomly brought the thought up. "Oh, yeah, my mom used to make me fish sticks, I like them a lot. I miss hers." Sherry spoke, her tone glum. "Oh, I see, I'm glad you have that memory of your mother, sweetheart." Claire whispered to her, giving her a melancholy gaze. "Your mother loved you Sherry." Leon spoke up, intervening with the conversation. Sherry gave Leon a look of peace, as if what he had said stuck with her.

Breaking the tension of the heart breaking but also warming moment, their waitress had arrived with all three of their drinks. "A juice for you, a Coke for you and a water for you." She mumbled out, placing her hands on her hips and snatching out her notepad. "Have you all chosen what it is you'd like to order?" "Uh, yes, we have." Claire cleared her throat before speaking again, "She would like the kid's meal of fish sticks with a side of french fries and Sherry, what sauce would you want with those?" "Ketchup please and thank you." Sherry spoke softly.

Continuing to keep her eyes on the paper, Candice wrote down Sherry's entire order. "How about you now?" "Yes, I would like the Mongolian style beef with broccoli please, light with the sauce, I always get a terrible stomach ache afterwards." Claire snorted, giving her order in a humorous manner. "I feel you on that. Now how about you sir?" Candice asked Leon. Leon hadn't really been focusing on them at the moment, rather he was deep in thought. So when Candice called for him, it took a second for it to click. It was like he was in some sort of trance. "Oh, yeah, sorry, come again?"

"My bad sir, I was wondering what it is you've decided to order?" "Oh, no, apologies, I would like the country fried steak with a side of the vegetable mix." Leon established his order, talking moderately so she could get it all written down. "Okie dokie then, thank you for your time, your food should be out shortly, if you need any further assistance, any waitress is available to accommodate your needs." Candice said before ambling off to another booth in need of service.

Claire was concerned about Leon. He had seemed as though he was out of it. Like something very peculiar was on his mind. "You okay?" Claire asked him. "Yeah, course I am, just some stuff is on my mind." Leon admitted but had a delightful tone so Claire just dealt with it. "If you say so." Claire replied. "Claire, I have to use the bathroom." Sherry said with a hushed voice. "Oh, I don't know where that is, Leon, do you?" "Yeah, Sher-bear, it's back there to the left, do you need help?" "No thank you, I'll be back in a moment." Sherry got up and went down to the restroom.

"Leon, are you sure everything is okay?" Claire asked, her tone worrisome. "Yeah Claire, just stressed about work, nothing you need to worry about." "You're so stubborn." Claire snickered. "Says you." Leon teased her, giving her a slight smile. "Not as stubborn as you though." Claire smiled, her eyes were so easy to get lost in, Leon couldn't help himself. "For what it's worth, being with you... And Sherry, of course, keeps my mind off of it all, for the most part." Leon spoke with truthfulness. He struggled being affectionate, it's hard now. "I feel the same way." Claire responded.

The two took a moment and gazed at one another. It didn't feel awkward. It just felt like it was needed. It felt like it was just them and no one else. Claire felt safe with Leon and vice versa. It was hard to come to terms with the fact they had to trust one another ; they both have difficult trust issues after everything that has happened. "I think you're great Leon." Claire said, her tone sweet. "I think you're even greater." Leon chuckled, looking away from her now, studying the restaurant around them.

Neither of them spoke for a good bit but the silence was shattered when Candice came over with all of their food. "Alrighty, here is your country fried steak with vegetables, hope you enjoy." Candice said, earnest filled her vocal cords. "Here is your Mongolian style beef with broccoli, light on the sauce too and here is the young lady's fish sticks with fries, is she still here?" "Yes, she's just in the lady's room." Claire responded, nodding politely. "Okay, that's fine! Well, I hope you all enjoy your meals and feel free to wave me over if you need anything else." Candice then walked away for the final time.

"It looks good." Claire said, practically foaming at the mouth. "It does, I agree. Let's wait till Sherry's back though." Leon stated, he was a gentleman at heart. "Totally, my food needs to cool down anyways, look at that steam." Claire's astonished tone was rather cute. "I see it." Leon replied. "I hope Sherry likes her food. I mean, out of all she could've gotten, she chose fish sticks." Claire giggled. "To each their own though." She followed up.

Footsteps were heard and Sherry was now visible again as she treaded back to the booth. "I'm back." Sherry said with a timid tone. "It smells so yummy." She denoted. "It sure does." Leon added onto her statement. "We can all eat now." Claire cleared, taking her fork and picking through her food. Leon cut up his steak and took small chunks of it into his mouth, chewing thoroughly. "Yeah, I needed that." Leon tittered, breathing in the fumes of his steak. Sherry dipped her fish stick into the sauce and took a decent bite, it was clear she needed some food in her system. "Best fish sticks I've had in awhile... Though, it could never compare to my mom's." Sherry made a point.

Claire took a bite of the beef with a broccoli floret attached to it. It tasted amazing, Claire was surprised the cooks pulled it off. It's one of her favorite foods so she's more than glad to devour this meal. "Really good. I wanna learn how to make Mongolian style beef with broccoli, I just wanna cook in general." Claire stated, her index finger curled in front of her lips as she chewed. "I'm learning how to cook right now and soon enough, I'll get into a cooking class at school!" Sherry spoke with happiness. "Oh really? What's your favorite thing to cook as of current?" Claire questioned. "Definitely pancakes." Sherry shirked. "Oh yeah." Leon laughed, taking a bite of some carrots.

"What're you learning to cook right now?" Claire wondered. "Right now, Derek is having me learn cake, it's the first sweet treat I'm learning to cook. I love chocolate cake." Sherry admired the sound of it. "Chocolate flavored anything is delicious." Leon agreed. "You two are crazy, vanilla is the way to go." Claire butted in, standing her ground. "No way!" Sherry snickered, Leon nodded in agreement. "Weirdos." Claire snorted, taking another bite of her food.

One thing all three of them could agree on was that moments like these would be remembered forever. Especially for Sherry, these two saved her life and they were extremely selfless towards her, risking their own lives to save her and take good care of her. Sherry considers them to be parental figures to her, especially Claire but Leon also means a lot to her. Claire is just the one she's closer to.

"Wanna try a bite Sherry? I know you like broccoli." Claire offered, a piece of beef and broccoli were stabbed into the fork. "Sure!" Sherry nodded, taking a swift bite of it and determining whether it was good or not. "I like it, it's just chewy." "I like the chewiness of it, it's tender, I love it." Claire said happily. "You wanna try, Leon?" "No, I do not like the sauce used for it, it's too thick." Leon chuckled, taking a bite of his steak, it was perfectly seasoned. "Exactly why I ask for light sauce." Claire nodded in response. It's like they think alike.

The three of them took their time eating their food and conversing among each other. It was a great time. Sherry eased in to the hang-out quite easily and felt comfort knowing she had Leon and Claire by her side. Sherry felt anxious when Leon and Claire had first picked her up from school ; it's not because she's uncomfortable with them, she just has a hard time adjusting to different environments, it was just so much more different with both of them and all three of them going out together.

"I cannot finish these fish sticks and fries." Sherry tittered, grabbing a napkin and wiping her face and hands. Both Leon and Claire had downed their food, they were very hungry. "That's okay, we can get you a to-go box, how's that sound?" Claire wondered. "That's fine by me." Sherry spoke out. Claire waved her hand to signal the waitress. Candice wandered over to them with a bright smile.

"What can I get you guy's?" Candice asked, grabbing Leon and Claire's empty plates, noticing Sherry's wasn't. "Hi, we just need a to-go box for her." Claire said, giving Candice a half smile. Candice nodded and stepped off to take the plates away and grab Sherry her styrofoam box. "Okay Sherry, would you still like to go to the pier and ride the Ferris wheel?" Claire questioned her, her head resting on her hand. "Yes, that would be nice. Can we still get ice cream?" "Oh, yes, you can, I'm way to full for some." Claire cackled, her stomach was full finally.

"Will you get ice cream Leon?" Sherry asked him, her smile was full of elation. "Maybe, I usually don't have sweets but if you can convince me enough, maybe." Leon chuckled, giving Sherry an ultimatum. The sun was getting closer to setting due to daylight savings, it was gorgeous outside. The sky was a sunny yellow with tints of orange and pink throughout the sky. It was picture worthy even. "Look how pretty the sky is." Claire pointed out, admiring it. "Yeah, it is alluring." Leon commented. "Sunsets are so beautiful." Sherry added.

Candice ambled back over with the check and a container for Sherry to use. "Here you go, little one. And here you two go, the check, take your time." Candice announced, smiling softly before walking back off to continue working. "I can pay for it all." Claire said, reaching for her wallet. "No, it's okay, I got the most expensive meal so allow me." Leon spoke. "Leon, it's totally okay, it's on me." "No, let me." Leon insisted, reaching for a couple bills and sliding them into the check book. "If you say so but next time, I'll pay." "Deal." Leon winked at her.

Sherry placed her food into the container, making sure the food didn't touch and it was organized enough to her appeal. "Ready?" Claire asked the two of them. "Ready!" Sherry exclaimed, practically jumping out of the booth and beginning to head out of the diners door. All three of them had a great time together and were more than happy to continue it. Together.

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