#i hope y'all enjoy also

[blackjackkent]

Quiet Zone

Pairing: Karlach/Tav Characters: Karlach, Hector Carlisle (OC Male Tav) Rating: E/18+ Warnings: None Descriptors: Fluff, humor, library sex, funny/happy sex, cute, almost caught, dialogue heavy Chapter Word Count: 3.3k Chapter Setting: Post-game, in Avernus in the House of Hope

Summary: 

In a rare moment of calm during their war against the devils of Avernus, Karlach and Hector Carlisle (monk Tav) get some time to themselves (more or less) in the library of their new base in the House of Hope.

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“What are you looking for exactly?” Karlach leans against the doorframe of the House of Hope’s library, raising an eyebrow and watching Hector scurry between the bookcases. “No way Raphael kept anything in here but second-rate porn.”

“I admit, that does seem to be most of the collection,” Hector answers wryly. He walks around the corner of another shelf, and his voice takes on a slightly dulled quality, muted by the rows of books between them. “There is the occasional treasure, though. I’ve found a few books on Zariel, on Mephistopheles, on various sorts of devils and demons. Raphael wanted control of the Hells - and he clearly kept notes on his potential competition. Could be useful for us, in the battles ahead.”

Karlach grins. Stepping fully into the room, she leans her hip against one of the overstuffed chairs in the foyer area and looks around.

The library of the House is just as oppressively posh-looking as the rest of the place. Its high, vaulted ceiling curves down to meet inset marble columns lining the walls. Each column marks the end of a row of ornate mahogany bookshelves, all engraved with elaborate flame motifs. Unlike the relic archives, though, the library doesn’t seem to have seen much care or use; the shelves are dusty, the marble columns chipped. The air smells of ink and old leather, but it's undercut with a distinct scent of mildew. The chair she’s resting against gives a soft squeak of dismay as her weight leans into it.

“Guess that makes sense,” she says casually. “But you could just ask me, y’know. I know everything, after all. ‘Specially when it comes to demons.”

“And as you well know,” Hector answers promptly from among the books, “I will listen to you gladly at every opportunity. But no record of knowledge is ever wasted. So I was taught in my scribing at the monastery, and so I shall continue to profess.”

There’s a smile in his voice, and she smiles herself to hear it. These moments of calm are few and far between, given their near-constant battles with Zariel’s forces. It’s always a relief for both of them when they have a little space to breathe - even if it does mean slumming around Raphael’s old stomping grounds.

“Uh-huh. Admit it,” she teases. “You’re in here reading the smut. All the academia shit’s just a clever cover.”

“Nooooo…” he says, with such exaggerated drama that it makes her laugh. Straightening up, she follows him down one of the aisles - and laughs again as she sees him slam a small leather-bound book down onto the shelf with a guilty expression.

“Hah!” she crows. “I knew it!” Darting forward before he can react, she snatches the book up and peers at it curiously. “ Milk of the Goddess. Hell of a title. And here I thought you were a good Selunite boy.”

Hector blushes. “The Moonmaiden could not fault me a little curiosity, I’m sure,” he says sheepishly. “Besides, I was trying to figure out where to shelve it.”

“Where to shelve-- wait. Hector. Hec. Hecster.” Karlach grins from ear to ear and steps behind him, planting her hands on either side so he is trapped against the bookcase, her chest against his back. “Are you, my dearest love in the whole world, saying you’re spending our precious free time organizing Raphael’s library?"

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Originally sourced from two separate ask meme prompts from @astreamofstars:

"Oh, shut up." "You shut up." "Make me." "Okay, but you might moan a little." (Spicy Romance Prompts)

Kisses meant to distract the other person from whatever they were intently doing (Kiss Prompts)

TY to @thedarkstrategist for beta! :)

[gatoiberico]

recently played skyward sword and OOF it's so damn good

prints | also playthrough on my gaming channel!!

[swampybogg]

[runningupthatvecna]

get the peach(es)

bestfriend!eddie munson x reader

it's the day after chrissy got vecna'd and you and the gang decide to check up on eddie at rick's. he's still in so much distress that you can't help but selflessly stay with your best friend (who you've been harboring a crush on for quite some time) and keep him company. 6k words, not proofread.

cw: the good old friends to lovers trope, eddie is an anxious bean who just needs to be held (by you, ideally), mutual (and not so secret at all) pining, i wrote this with fem!reader in mind (she/her pronouns) but can also be read as gn i guess, fluff, hurt/comfort (for eddie), pet names, mentions of chrissy's death, there shall be kisses and a lot of softness. nothing too explicit but minors are still advised to LEAVE

a/n: totally not self indulgent, that scene of him being so terrified in 4x02 ripped me to shreds so this is my fix-it attempt, trying to still my need to hold him and scratch his head. disclaimer: this piece of writing is based on the ending of that episode, meaning all credits for the setting go to the respective writers. sources to the header images here, here and here. lovely divider by saradika. ok thank you so much for reading byeeee love y'all <3

–––––

The overwhelming need to befriend the satanic metalhead found you at that party at the Wheeler house. You had almost said no to Nancy when she invited you, knowing damn well how the night would end. Steve passed out with a girl on his lap, Robin silently pining after Vickie from some corner of the room while clinging onto the red plastic cup in her hand, Jonathan getting higher than a kite with his old school mates, the younger kids asking you every five minutes if you could give them a ride since you usually were the one staying sober.

Additionally this time, there would be Eddie Munson. This familiar stranger Dustin, Mike and Lucas had met and somehow befriended over the last months, due to them joining his DnD club. "He might come off as a bit intimidating ... but I promise he's super chill and easy going!", Mike had tried to convince his sister, poking the tip of her shoulder repeatedly with a bunch of pleases during lunch break in the editing room of the school's newspaper. Until she rolled her eyes theatrically and agreed to let the ambiguous stranger, which the whole town collectively perceived as not really fitting in (and who you both certainly knew under the not so chill reputation he carried around), attend the celebratory events at Casa Wheeler. Occasion: Karen, Ted and their youngest leaving the house for more than one day, off on vacation.

You'd always kinda stayed out of his ways, used to observe his antics back at school with a silent laugh and this .. intrigue poking at your guts. To you he always stood out, and if anyone asked you'd be hesitant to admit it, but his willingness to go against the flow and not conform to the acceptable standards set by society was honestly impressive. And besides, surely this whole mysterious drug dealer rockstar image must just be a fassade and deep down he's just a dork, right?

His eyes follow you through the living room, an echo of your name crossing his mind repeatedly after having pulled Dustin into a corner for a brief interrogation. He finds it endearing how quickly and almost bashfully you look away every time your curious gaze meets his. As you redirect your focus to the conversation you're becoming engaged in, there's a soft smile creeping onto your lips. Little did he know it would soon start to haunt him in his dreams at night.

"Anything specific you're looking for?"

God, his voice. The close proximity invites your nose to inhale a mix of fresh cigarette smoke, bergamot and sandalwood, allowing you to sense what can only be him standing behind you as you skim through the cabinets of the Wheeler kitchen. You turn your head for your eyes to confirm your assumption and what they find is the deepest brown of round baby cow eyes they've ever met, up so much closer now. The paring of his gaze and plush smile somehow manages to dissolve every little prejudice you've been involuntarily harboring about him. Eddie Munson, the town's freak. Prime reason for the existence of the satanic panic. Drugs. And then you realise that you should probably do the polite thing and give him an answer. "Yeah uh, I was just trying to find the peach syrup", holding his gaze with a small lopsided smile, lost in its warmth which you wouldn't have dared to expect from it, before facing away from him again. He snorts a little, "peach syrup?", pauses to bring a thumb to his upper lip, lightly scratching the skin above as if to wipe something away, before he removes it again and the dimples appear around the corners of his mouth, "that is oddly specific." His response spreads a smile over your face, and the next thing he says widens it, "looks like you have taste though."

You move one step to the side, about to investigate the insides of the next cabinet, the kitchen itself almost empty of people with only three others chatting away in the corner across the island. He follows, undoubtedly trying to stay close, and the heat from the fire he just ignited somewhere inside of you rises to your cheeks. "Thanks, I really like peaches. Especially in my drinks. It adds a little ... kick to my sobriety", you explain, Eddie now quirks an amused eyebrow paired with a lopsided smile at you, and as you get to the last cabinet it dawns on you (and also Eddie) that this household severely lacks peach syrup. An atrocity. Thanks Ted.

After he helped you rummage through the entirety of the kitchen without success but under a lot of small talk, the metalhead vanishes from the function for an hour or so. At least that's what your brain concludes when your vision fails to spot him among the people who are in attendance. Maybe he's selling out of Nancy's bedroom. Maybe he's puking up his insides in the bathroom because he had too much of that weird beer he's been downing all night. Maybe he's banging some random girl in the bathroom upstairs. Or summoning a demon. Or both. At the same time. You once again try focusing your attention back to the conversation you are involved in. Munson already feels so dear to you that the lack of his presence is starting to form an ache in your heart. It's tugging on those strings with how much you already want him near you. Yeah. You're gonna be in trouble with this one.

And then he stumbles into the room from the direction of the front door, an event you're totally unable (and unwilling) to miss. He doesn't look like he just puked, nor sold a whole lot of the stash since you notice it still bulging out the left ass pocket of his black jeans. Instead, as he pushes past the small groups of people socialising – and towards you – while you notice a red net of round fruits dangling from his right hand, and you start to think that his disheveled hair and that rosy tint on his cheeks might actually not be from shagging either. He meets your gaze again as he approaches you with a grin and your heart dares to swell at his attentive gesture (you think you might as well pass away on the spot).

"Have some, peach."

It's not syrup, but you'll take them anyway. And with your next drink, you swallow down not only that peachy sweetness on your tongue, but also whatever this tingly feeling in your chest is.

"Chchhrhch.."

Pause.

"Hey, uh– chrhchhr.."

Silence in your bedroom, the only thing illuminating the space is the moonlight softly falling through the window.

"Chrch– a-are you there?"

You stirr awake from dozing off in your bed, trying to piece together the information your senses are giving you.

Eyes gone dry, you have to blink a few times. Figure out which year it is and so on.

Confusion lies between the static crackle for a moment. That nap after your shift at the diner was necessary. God, you need to fucking quit.

"No I'm sure she'll pick right up, just– hey pleeease b-be awake, goddamn it!–"

Is it already past midnight?

You don't know and you can't tell, the clock on your nightstand still broken. What you do know though is that the familiar voice belongs to your friend Dustin and it's desperately trying to get ahold of you.

They must have found him.

"Dustin? I copy, where are you? What's going on?", you finally grab the device from the nightstand, fully awake and aware of your surroundings now.

You need to know. If he's okay.

There's that all too familiar instant tingle in your chest again, an ache that made itself familiar to you for the first time when he was introduced to you at the one and only Wheeler party several months ago. The dungeon master of Hawkins High's Hellfire club, the lead guitarist of Corroded Coffin and a super chill and easy going guy, to put it in Mike Wheeler's words.

What you didn't expect back then was your heart starting to develop that feeling, that tingle you'd always get to feel when you were in his presence, or like now, when his name is threatening to spill from your friend's lips on the other side of the connection at any moment.

"Aha! See? I told you she'd respond in no time."

You can practically feel Dustin's shit eating grin through the frequency, basking in being correct over Steve Harrington once again. It never gets old between these two.

"Oh my god", Steve's muffled voice is what you can make out vaguely from the off, he's probably palming his face.

"Dustin!", your voice disappears into the device, and your impatience grows with every passing second, hoping he gets the hint.

There's the sound of a door falling shut, leaves rustling under shoes, he must be outside now.

"Alright, okay yeah, so we found him at Rick's and he's really upset and he's been asking for you. I know it's late but can you meet us out here? And maybe, uh, stay with him?"

It's not even worth questioning. You're already wearing shoes. Your biggest hoodie in tow, you stumble into your kitchen with the intention to raid your own snack drawer. Pulling out Eddie's favourite, which you of course had stocked up on ever since hanging out with him at your place had become more of a weekly routine for the both of you.

Ten minutes, you told him. You'd be there in ten.

The drive feels like forever. The longest ten minutes of your life, you think.

You know the route like the back of your hand, having driven along the gravelly road leading from the last intersection before Hawkins' border to the outer world, to the serene woods surrounding Lover's Lake countless times. Eddie would take you here ever so often, for picnics, an occasional smoke after picking up a new delivery from Rick's, cloud or star gazing, listening to Metallica and Tears for Fears on Wayne's old walkman.

The gravel crunches underneath your white reeboks as they land on the ground. You close the door to your car as quietly as possible after you've taken out the bag and your hoodie.

Dustin and Steve are stood outside the boathouse, waving like madmen in the darkness once you come into their periphery.

The younger boy hugs you tightly.

"So glad you could make it", he gets out, the relief palpable through his voice as well as the grip he holds you in for a brief moment.

You look at them both after Steve presses you against him cordially, and breathe out through your nose, making your nostrils flare.

Dustin cracks open the case to you as he starts to ramble about the state in which they found your best friend, "well first he attacked Steve with a broken bottle, we had to put in great effort to convince him that we'd be on his side, and we came to the conclusion that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, basically."

What you want right now goes without saying. Everyone here knows how close you and Eddie are. As friends, of course. No one would think anything different.

Without wasting another second, the boys lead you inside where Max and Robin are knelt on the wooden floor. Heads turning towards the entrance of the room where you're now standing.

The sight of what's offered to your eyes, sitting opposite of them, breaks your heart.

You can see that he's slightly shivering, eyes glassy in the dim lit room. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips though once his brain grasps your presence, and he can't help anymore but let the water fall once his eyes lock with yours.

The pain that is swimming in those two deep warm brown oceans hits you like a dagger to the chest. Over the months of being friends with him you'd seen him various different states, none of them comparable to this.

"Peach", his shaky voice announces your arrival and the sound of your nickname spilling from his lips cracks through your bones. The bag that's slung around your shoulder drops onto the wood with a dull thud.

Wobbly legs carry him towards you with a gentle shove past Robin and Max. You're once again reminded of your best friend's sheer physical strength as he wraps his arms around you, instantly burying his face into the crook of your neck.

One arm of your own sneaks around his torso, pressing him against you as tightly as your own strength allows you, while your other hand comes up to bury itself underneath the mane and to end up scratching soothingly over the scalp above the nape of his neck.

Eddie lets out a muffled sob, sniffling into the collar of the sweatshirt you threw on in a haste. He doesn't really want anyone to see him like this, certainly not Steve Harrington, so he clutches onto you so tightly that he thinks you might just feel his heavy heart beating anxiously against your chest.

And you do. How could you not with the amount of world he means to you? Like an automatism your other hand rubs slow circles over his back. Comforting him in the best way you could. Not a conscious decision you make.

"Okay so, m'not meaning to ruin the party, in fact I'd love to stay for another round of doom talk, but I really should get home soon, guys", Robin scratches the back of her head after she gets up from her huddled position next to the wooden crate Eddie had been sitting on. Max joins in and agrees, mumbling something about having to move her mom from being passed out on the couch again into her bed.

"Yeah me too, actually. My dad's gonna be fucking pissed. We'll see you tomorrow, yeah?", Steve's voice echoes through the room and you can tell he's already shoved Dustin back outside, itching to drive the kid home.

As Eddie processes having to stay in hiding, added the possibility of everyone leaving without him, his grip on you tightens even more.

"It's okay, Eds", you speak softly, head slightly tilted so your cheek rests on the dark frizzy mop you could call his hair. The skin on his neck and scalp so warm underneath your fingertips as you keep scratching it, emphasizing your presence, "I'll stay."

A soft muffled whimper is what you get as a response, and the way he lets you see him in this state melts your insides to a puddle.

You just need him to be okay.

They wave their goodbyes behind your back, accompanied by mumbles of "see you in the morning", and you can't even bring yourself to turn your head around, fully focused on making the young man in your arms less terrified of the world. A world he was sure was now going to come for him with all its force – in deep conviction of him being responsible for Chrissy's misfortunate end.

The door falls shut and Eddie muffles a quiet thank you into the fabric of your sweatshirt. The skin on your neck is damp with his tears, wet eyelashes tickling every time he blinks.

"It's okay, Eds", you softly keep repeating your words to him while continuously rubbing over the denim of his signature Dio vest in a slow motion, when he feels the urgency to claim the truth into the collar of your sweater about what has happened, "I– I didn't do it, I swear."

As if you would need any convincing.

"Oh no of course you didn't, I know that", you're looking for a way to ease the distress this entire situation is causing him, his quivering voice adding to your desire to soothe him to inner peace, "can I make a suggestion?"

Eddie nods with another sniffle against your collarbone, the round wet tip of his nose brushing against the column of your throat lightly. To his ears, your voice sounds like silk right about now.

"How about we head over to the main house and get ourselves a little more comfortable? Since we're gonna be here for a little longer? My god you probably haven't slept or eaten at all, have you?"

You can feel him nod his head again with a hum this time, and you start to think that the tears might not just be pouring because he just witnessed someone suffer a gruesome death right in front of him, but also due to physical exhaustion.

It makes your heart ache even more, that tingle still present, even more so now. It hurts to see your best friend hurt.

He just needs to be okay. And in that heart of yours there's that little spark of hope that leads you to believe you could be the one helping him with that.

You'd really want that. Be all his to find comfort in, to hold close, to kiss stupid

Stop.

A sigh escapes your lungs at the thought. That tingle, that longing, it's selfish. It familiarly pools in your belly and slowly drips downwards. You push your brain aside. This is about soothing your best friend now.

"C'mon then", you utter softly, encouraging him with your hand to lift his head from where it leans against your shoulder.

For your heart it's almost too much to look at, the hurt still swimming in the glassy big brown irises, his waterline red and puffy. The soft smile returning to his lips causes the wet apples of his cheeks to push up slightly, reflecting the dim light coming from the one torch Robin left you, placed on one of the crates.

He really hadn't been able to close an eye for a single second since he he'd gotten up for school the day prior.

You smile back at him almost bashfully as you slowly create space between your bodies.

Eddie is grateful that it's you who grabs his ringed hand next.

He squeezes yours, hoping to get the message of this meaning something to him across.

And he closely trails behind you as you lead the way.

The house feels empty, like no one's really been here in months. You'd never been inside. The few times you'd accompanied Eddie grabbing stash you'd stayed in his van, waiting. But as far as you now can make out in the darkness, there's a couch with knitted blankets, a little TV with a whole stack of VHS almost rising as high as the screen itself, spilled and spluttered empty cans and papers and wrappings littered all around. Maybe this is why he never let you come inside with him. Keeping you out of this definitely not sterile mess. Along with keeping you out of the business.

In the middle of the living room, you let go of his hand and shuffle one step away from him. He's inside now. Safe. Job done. Doesn't need physical contact. You shouldn't, he's your friend. You feel like something between you would break if you'd go there.

Eddie thinks otherwise, regarding close proximity at least. He promptly follows you into what you believe to be the kitchen where you hope you might find a tea bag or two. He comes up behind you and encases you in his arms as you rummage through the cabinets (feels familiar, hm?), not at all ready to say goodbye to the warmth of your body pressed against his own just yet.

You giggle at the silliness of him putting weight on you just to make it harder for you to reach into the cabinets. It's endearing. And very Eddie.

Twenty minutes later and there's two mugs – cleaned to your best ability – with steaming hot liquid on the sixties wooden coffee table. Next to them a plate filled with the almost equally hot insides of a ravioli in tomato sauce can. Thank Rick for a still functioning microwave.

You drape the knitted blankets over both you and Eddie as you settle into the cushions. The only light existent coming from two lit candles on said coffee table. It wouldn't be too wise setting up the torch you think.

The side of Eddie's face glows in the orange yellow, his wide brown bambi eyes dried after the first grand storm, and there's this tug on the corner of his pink plush lips again. He exchanged his leather jacket for the freshly washed hoodie for comfort and a small part of you hopes he doesn't spill his dinner onto any of it.

You lean back into the backrest of the worn out couch and watch as he eats, a domestic thing you've done a thousand times already, yet you still find comfort in knowing that he's nourishing himself.

Or well, in this case, inhaling the raviolis.

"Thank you Peach", he moves to put the empty plate back on the coffee table and it makes the spoon chink and glide along the edge, "I really needed this."

His voice is a little hoarse, probably from the emotions of the hours behind him. Maybe he has indeed calmed down a little. His hand moves down to your thigh, squeezing.

You give him the most empathetic smile you can bring yourself to display, painfully aware of the blaze that is transpiring through your leggings and seeping into your bones, "it's no big deal, really. I mean it is– uh, being there for you, is."

And he can't bring himself to look up at you. Instead, he stares at the empty plate on that coffee table in front of him.

"And to me as well. It really helps that you're here."

He doesn't bother moving the calloused warmth of his hand from the soft warmth of your thigh. It lights your entire nervous system on fire. In a good way.

And that's when you begin to wonder if everything that has just happened and is still happening right now changes anything.

"I'm so glad it does", is all you're able to get out.

Eddie decides that it's time to lean into your side and wrap his arms around your torso once again, drop his head back to its favourite place with a soft content little hum.

He just needs physical comfort. Of course. Just that. Nothing more, nothing else.

The words are redundant but your mouth articulates them anyway, "try to get some sleep, yeah?"

His back already lifts and falls evenly. You place your hand on the back of his head that rests in the crook of your neck again, scratching through the curls lightly, searching to help him shut off even deeper.

–––––

The candles have gone out by the time your eyelids slowly open. It takes you a moment to recall the location you fell asleep in, and you hope that the nightly darkness the whole room is now filled with hasn't invited any stranger to take advantage of your unconsciousness.

There's a warm hand holding your face, the pad of a thumb tracing over the apple of your cheek softly. It makes its way from the bridge of your nose to the outer corner of your eye, and back. And forth. And back. And forth.

You must have moved to lie down on your back in your sleep, with Eddie's weight still on your body, legs entangled. It's not the first time you've slept like this, there had been movie nights that had ended similarly.

His hand caressing your cheek though, yeah that is new. There's something unspoken in the air this time around. Your stomach is doing flip flops when you realise that he is propped up on his elbow, just .. looking at you. With eyes that don't require light to hint at whatever it is he is trying to say, or maybe not trying at all.

"Eds, what are you doing?", you ask almost in a whisper followed by a lopsided smile, expecting an unserious answer, because he always tends to make a joke whenever he tries to avoid conversing about emotions regarding his heart.

His thumb stops its acrobatics on your cheek, comes to a halt.

"I'm–", he takes a deep breath before he continues, "I'm just so grateful it's you that's here right now."

Your hand comes up to cup his. Brush over his rough knuckles with a thumb of your own. Enjoying the warmth that is seeping from his palm into your skin.

"Yeah, I figured you were gonna be a little opposed to spending the night with Harrington", you laugh, an attempt to turn your nerves into humour.

Eddie snorts a little, "yeah right, it's almost like you know me", he grins and pushes himself even closer to your face than he already is. It doesn't necessarily help in extinguishing the fire that's consuming you whole at this point.

"It's almost like we're best friends and I know what you think of him because every time Dustin or literally anyone else mentions his name around you, you're not necessarily secretive about it."

"Hey, my own worldview is not my fault, it's just– ... he just kinda seems like a douche of the highest order."

"He's quite alright, Eds. Try giving him a chance, I think he'd look great as Coffin's tambourinist."

He snorts again and you feel his breath on the column of your neck next when he dips his head down, nose pressing against the soft skin, his small giggle being swallowed by the collar of your sweatshirt.

Your favourite sound. Ever. Followed by the relieved moan Eddie lets out at the way your other hand is softly rubbing over his shoulder blade. The vibration against your neck makes you twitch as much as being pinned into the couch cushions by his body allows you.

It's soothing as much for you as it is for him.

When he lifts his head, the soft gaze he eyes you with is enough to let the goosebumps erupt. Even in the darkness of the room you can still make out those round buttons that could melt the entire north pole.

"Thank you, Peach, really. I'd be goin' mental right now and probably tryin' to counter that by smoking an equally mental amount of the stash I've been hiding here."

Your heart aches.

"I'm just glad I can be that kind of comfort to you, Eds. You don't have to go through whatever the fuck this is alone."

"I know I'm never gonna be alone as long as you are there."

You almost cry yourself now, his words making your hand travel from his own to his cheek, almost passing out from the way his eyes bore into your own once again.

Eddie isn't sure what it is that is making him feel lightheaded right now. The whole rollercoaster of events of the past hours. Or your words of affirmation. Or mayhaps it is your cute soft hand with that little ring on your thumb which is gently swiping over his damp skin.

That cute soft hand he'd been imagining countless times at night, silently yearning for your eyes to look at him differently, to finally see him in a different light the next time you'd hang out.

Probably a combination of just everything.

You reciprocate his soft half-lidded gaze, hand moving from his cheek to tuck some of his hair behind his left ear, revealing that delicate silver hoop earring you'd gifted to him for his birthday, after having talked your ear off about getting his ear pierced for literal months.

He'd insisted you join him for the appointment, "another metal moment for the books", as Eddie had called it, the need to have his hand held during the stab comically urgent in the way his voice sounded when he called you that day. And in the pace in which he picked you up.

"I'm here no matter what", you respond to his sentiment, that hand that brushed his hair away resting on the side of his neck while leaning the weight of your head into his palm that is still attached to your cheek.

Eddie's confidence reaches a new all time high with the admission of your unconditional support being stirred into the cocktail of hormones and emotions that's been circulating in his bloodstream for a generous amount of time now.

Because then he goes on by saying impossible things.

Impossible things with a slightly less platonic undertone.

"You're so fucking sweet, has anyone ever told you?"

You smile as you shake your head, heat rising to your cheeks once again and you're sure he won't be able to see just how flustered he's getting you (joke's on you he does).

You're also sure he's out of his mind for saying that. Now.

"A shame, honestly. You should scold your best friend for not telling you sooner. Tell him what a fucking idiot he is."

Eddie earns another giggle from you. Music to his ears. Better than Metallica. Okay maybe not but .. pretty fucking close.

"I'll let him know next time I see him", you say with a grin, playing along with pleasure, and you ask yourself why it is only now that you realise just how fucking close his face is to yours.

There is a moment of silence in which Eddie hesitates articulating whatever is seemingly bugging his mind.

"Do you, uh, still like him?"

If you lifted your head just a little your noses would be touching. A silly and utmost redundant question, and yet, Eddie dreads your answer. If the circumstances were different, less dystopian and tragic, you'd seriously wonder what would spark the doubt in your friendship in him, but considering that everyone else would be going to pour their judgement over him, you understand.

Every word exchanged between the two of you at this hour is soaked in mutual infatuation, something the idiots in both of you are slowly starting to fathom as well.

"Of course I do, he's everything to me."

As you say it, you can't help the grin which reappears reliably each time you finish verbalizing your thoughts. It's contagious, you notice.

"And do you think – just hypothetically of course", it's only then he breaks eye contact to clear his throat, "of course", you interrupt him still smiling and cocking an eyebrow at him, "d'ya think it would be okay for this best friend to, uh, maybe...", Eddie pauses, internally watching the ship containing his confidence set sail slowly and ultimately letting the irrational thoughts win for tonight, "would you let him..."

Eddie generally wasn't someone who lacked confidence. It showed in the way he boisterously wandered the halls of Hawkins High, the way his demeanor never changed, his mask never faltered no matter who was around. Except for you. You who he had always granted a look underneath the impulsive, extroverted surface.

"Eds", you try everything in your power to stay calm even though everything inside of you is screaming right now and you're certain you can feel your pulse in your earlobes.

"Would it be just insane of that best friend to kiss you right now?"

You want to squeal and kick your feet, pull him into your face, pinch your own forearm, pass away, leave the house and never return, and stay right where you are forever, buried underneath your favourite metalhead, the parts where your bodies are touching practically on fire, cosy and content.

Instead, the most fond smile spreads over your lips as you try to contain your internal overwhelm.

It's still dark, the only light source being the full moon outside. Eddie's so hopeful of your reciprocation and even more terrified of ruining his entire life at the same time, those deep doe eyes at this point pretty much resemble the shape of the space rock orbiting earth. Rejection from you, his pretty Peach and the Bonnie to his Clyde, would be unbearable.

"I think so," you almost whisper, the hand that's been rubbing over Eddie's back coming up to lightly trace one of his eyebrows with your index finger because you just can't seem to not touch him in some way, "but you should know that I love his insanity."

Your small giggle is being silenced by a soft and cautious kiss from Eddie Munson. Like he doesn't want to break you. Or he's afraid you'll snap out of a haze, slap him and leave if he starts kissing you like he really wants to.

And then it's you who goes for it, you feel at home, right where you belong, you don't think you've ever felt this good. The hand on his jaw tugs him closer softly, pressing your lips to his with a bit more urgency.

It gives him all the confirmation he could possibly need.

That tingle, it grows and fills up your chest and shoots through your entire being, goosebumps and all. Eddie moans and breathes against your lips, tongue dancing over the thin skin, asking for permission.

His ringed hand digs deeper and slowly moves to the nape of your neck, intending to hold you in place, afraid you could slip away from him if he didn't. This blossoming thing between you could slip away from him. If he didn't.

It's so soft, the way his lips touch yours, and before you know it they move to your cheek, to your jaw, down your neck before Eddie comes up again, smiling from ear to ear, to gently bump his nose against the tip of yours and his lips return home with a soft and deep hum escaping from his lungs into your mouth.

Relief floods his veins along with whatever it is you're doing to him. The ability to shut out the insanity of the past hours is what he so desperately wants to cling to for as long as you allow him, even if the dawn will remind him of the horrid reality he's involuntarily become subject to live through now.

"You're making things so much better, Peach, you're so sweet, so fucking cute, so fucking good for me, do you even know for how long I've been dreaming of this?"

Eddie greedily pulls your face into his again, not even giving you a chance to reply and not nearly getting enough of your affection it seems with how fervently his tongue searches for yours.

A gentle collision of skin.

The soft whimpers you let out only spur him on. You not backing away from him, staying with him, letting him be this close to you?

You, the only constant source of consolation Eddie's ever really had.

Life changing.

Soft touches follow soft touches, your thumb traces his jaw repeatedly.

"You don't–", kiss, "for how long–", kiss, "I've been dreaming–", kiss, "of you as well", you breathe against him and Eddie thinks he might be about to resort to sniffling into your collar again with the amount of relief he is experiencing.

You'd let him.

"Yeah?", he presses his nose into your cheek with his eyes closed, smiling from ear to ear, relaxing his entire body into yours as you let him slide inbetween your legs.

"Yeah, you know how much of a sucker I am for peaches", you grin, another peck to his cheek, his jaw, his neck, your hips slowly finding a rhythm against his own.

Eddie groans at your allusion with a wide grin on his face (and the feeling of your warmth against his dick), before pressing his lips against yours again lovingly, "me too baby, me too."

–––

taglist (thought you might be interested): @josephfakingquinn, @ghost-proofbaby, @analogkraken, @wroteclassicaly, @songforeddiemunson, @joejoequinnquinn, @somnambulic-thing, @trashmouth-richie, @eddddiemunson, @ceriseheaven, @userchai

comments, reblogs and other forms of affection towards the author are greatly appreciated thank youuuuu <3

[shevr]

good news : i might try to draw some more again this month bad news? : its mostly from trying to 10+ years later join the Equestria Daily NATG so its really just gonna be horses. might not share it all

also as mentioned this is drawn after the very very good picture from this post

[blamemma]

daniel ricciardo and max verstappen on 7news melbourne discussing how max travels with 11 padel boards, how they have great chemistry, and max declaring we should "keep on making babies".

(if used, please credit, it took me a long time to chop and stitch this together x)

[caffichai]

Hoshiguma offers a snack for these trying times

[cj-the-random-artist]

Is this comic completely silly, a little overly dramatized, and not my best work?? Yes. Did I cut a few corners and put a little less effort into making everything highly detailed than I would in a full illustration due to time restrictions and wrist pain?? Also yes. Was it worth making so I can practice making comics and drop some random thoughts onto a piece of digital paper?? Absolutely yes.

This was kind of based on a loose idea that I have that Pirates SMP and Hermitcraft Season 9 (as it's going right now) are different universes?? Like, that in the Pirates SMP universe the Hermits all got scattered so far from each other after Season 8 and Moon Big that they just... didn't start a Season 9??? And kind of just went on whatever adventures life took them on in whatever universes they ended up in???? Idk it's a kind of silly headcanon and probably completely wrong but I don't care and it doesn't have to be right or anything cuz I enjoyed making this and that's the point of this. So, silly headcanons aside, this was fun to make.

That said. Hope y'all like this little comic and my theory bit I put in here, and have a good day :D

[rocketonthemoon]

I'm kinda new to the fandom and you seem to rec fics that I don't see around a lot. Any older SC fics I should look up?

Well I dunno how much I can vouch for my taste but SC fics I really like that are more than a few years old:

Where Lamps Go to Die by WastedOn - Kara pretends to be in a relationship with Supergirl and Lena gets jealous (probably my absolute favorite SC fic. One of the first I read and genuinely a lot of fun)

lena dies on a wednesday by @karalovesallthegirls - Lena is trapped in a loop, reliving the day she dies over and over again. She just doesn’t know it. (I think this was one of the first SC fics I ever read? absolutely fantastic)

in the shadow of that green light also by @karalovesallthegirls - Kara wakes from an accident with no memory and a mysterious caretaker who creates more questions than she answers. (I'm not normally one for horror but this is SO good and makes me want to rattle the bars of my enclosure it's so good)

1,370,911 by @pippytmi - Soulmate AND Singer/Songwriter AU (I reread this on the regular you don't understand the grip it has on me)

We Deserve Only Good Things by @thornedrose44 - Kara and Lena are working through how to be friends again and an alien has them meet the younger versions of each other (yeah this one wrecks me in the best ways honestly)

quiet when i'm coming home (i'm on my way) by @valkyrieskwad - Kara's a retired smoke jumper and has to figure out life afterwards (Kara learns how to fucking heal and I'm in love with this honestly)

and of course I gotta plug @i-am-robie's you're gunna find yourself someway, somehow - Morning Glory AU aka one of my favorite Kara fics ever

And then of course I gotta plug my own work.

These are only a small handful of course. This fandom is so talented there's so many good one's to choose! So like just go through my bookmarks and have a good time. Don't forget to leave comments!!!

[fairydrowning]

"Happiness is in the quiet, ordinary things. A table, a chair, a book with a paper-knife stuck between the pages. And the petal falling from the rose, and the light flickering as we sit silent."

– Virginia Woolf, The Waves

[thelonelyshore-if]

Jay Drabble

Or, Jay wakes up next to MC for the first time.

The first time Jay saw you, they had no idea that they'd love you. 

Ravi had a feeling. That's all he would tell them about why they were walking alongside the lake when a storm was clearly about to break. That deep into October, night had already fallen despite the early hour. Jay had their flashlight out, scanning the beach for the source of the feeling.

The water was a cold, dark unknown. Empty of promise or reason for concern. Kristy Edwards was still missing at that point, and Jay was half hopeful that Ravi might be leading them towards her. They were focused on the beach itself, looking more for a body than anything else. 

“Oh,” Ravi had said, looking out at the lake. 

Jay turned, a sinking feeling in their gut as they found what they'd been looking for. A body, bobbing in the water like a dead fish. Limp. Motionless.

Not Kristy, though. Not anyone.

They ran in without thinking. For someone so cautious with their personal life, Jay sure had a knack for rushing into danger. 

The first time Jay saw you, you were drenched in lake water, your pajamas clinging to your skin and your eyes shut. The first time they kissed you, it was to push air into your lungs, their hands pumping rhythmically at the still heart in your chest. 

Now it's six in the morning and they've kissed you again. Kissed you and more, spent a night with you that still has their heart pounding.

Jay lays awake in their bed. One arm is tucked behind their head, propping them up enough that they can look at you curled up on their chest. The other is pinned between your torso and a satin pillowcase. Pins and needles stab at the trapped limb, and they're trying to figure out how to escape without ruining the moment. 

The problem is that they're so damn comfortable, other than the dead weight of their arm. You lay with your head buried in the curve of their neck. They can feel the steady rise and fall of your chest, the warmth of your skin. 

You're here. You're alive. You're beautiful.

Dim light shines in from the hallway. Last night you stayed up talking for hours. You sat shoulder to shoulder on their old red sofa, discussing anything and everything. Leaning closer and closer as the night went on. Knees bumping, hands brushing together. Talking turned to kissing turned to…

Well. 

Jay smiles. They can’t help it–a giddy, excited, teenager-who-just-had-their-first-kiss sort of smile.

You both were distracted enough that it's no surprise they forgot to turn off the light. Other than the dim golden glow streaming in from the hall, Jay's bedroom is dark. It's late enough in the year that the sun won't come up for hours, and they'll take the darkness for as long as they can get it. 

This feels like a dream, a moment wrapped in the magic of waking up with you in their arms for the very first time. 

Well. Waking up with you on their arm. An arm that is, quite frankly, killing them. 

Jay doesn't want to break the spell, but their arm is starting to feel like the static that builds up on the surface of their TV.

They stretch out their fingers and grimace when the motion sends sparks shooting straight up to their shoulder. They scoot back in bed, slowly managing to wriggle their arm out from under your neck. 

They pull free, shake out their fingers. Blood rushes back into their hand and it stings, but nothing like it was before. They watch you, fondness and amusement mingling as your face briefly twists into a mask of annoyance. You crack open a single eye, looking up at them.

“Jay…?” you squint into the darkness, words sluggish with sleep.

“Morning,” they say softly.

Jay’s heart melts when your groggy expression fades into a sleepy smile. You roll over until you’ve propped yourself up on your side. You swoop down, peppering their ribs with clumsy kisses.

“Hey–!” their voice cracks into laughter. It tickles, and they shift away from you, but you’ve wrapped your arm around their waist. They’re trapped, and they’re elated, and this is the best morning of their entire life.

“You woke me up,” you accuse.

“I couldn’t feel my arm,” they grin, “You were crushing it.”

You open your mouth to protest and they can't resist leaning in and catching your lips with theirs. They pour all of their giddiness and joy and relief into the kiss, hoping that you can feel the warmth blooming inside them. You receive it eagerly. They wrap an arm around your waist, pull you in close. 

The kiss lasts for seconds. It lasts for hours. Jay loses themself in the heat of your lips. They feel dizzy with affection, and their heart feels like it's going to burst. 

Finally it ends and you break apart, but they keep holding you. You both shift position until you're resting your head on their chest and their arm is curled around you. It'll probably fall asleep again, but they can't resist the intoxicating feeling of you at their side. 

“Wow,” they breathe, staring up at the ceiling.

You laugh, your breath tickling their skin. 

“Was it that good?” you tease. 

Yes, they want to say, but that's not all. They're marveling because they never could have expected this. They pulled you out of the lake, took pride in having helped find you. In keeping you safe 

But it wasn't until now that Jay truly understood just how lucky they were to save your life. 

“Stay for breakfast?” they say instead, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

“Sure,” you hum.

Jay smiles and closes their eyes. You both fall into a comfortable, drowsy silence. Hopefully you'll stick around and you can spend your day together, but for now this is all they need. 

This is perfect. 

[veinsfullofstars]

🍭 Kirbtober 2024 Day 31: Darkness 🍭

(ID: Kirby series fanart of Kirby - dressed as a mummy - happily dashing by and carrying Gooey - wearing a purple, star-striped witch hat - on his head, each holding an Invincible Candy and leaving a sparkly trail of other treats in their wake. END ID.)

Happy Halloween!

Previous Day | Compilation | Prompt List (made by @/paintpanic)

Started on 10/20/24, finished on 10/21/24. | Kirbtober 2023 Comp

[hers-underwraps]

࿐Thoughts on Octonauts main 6 duos .࿐

[NOTE: these are MY hc's/opinions -> please don't kill me]

[ANOTHER NOTE -> if any of these are similiar to yours or others hc's -> I PROMISE IT'S NOT INTENTIONAL (hey I guess great minds think alike) ]

ALSO THIS POST IS LONG - so be warned

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Barnacles and Kwazii

Both of them are theatre kids

They love listening to musical soundtracks

One of the few people on the crew that Barnacles is really comfortable with telling his feelings

Also vice Vera’s for Kwazii, he’s also one of the few people on the crew he’s comfortable with not being his usual bravado self around and sometimes he’ll talk about his family history

Sometimes when they both need to vent, Kwazii will come into Barnacle's room and they’ll just rant for hours

Also, they probably use that time to debrief about how the other are doing + do welfare checks on the team

I just love how they match each other's energy (they are such doofuses when it’s just the two)

Brawn’s and Brawn’s fr (like in the whale shark or giant squid episode)

Both of them had matching man ponytails at one point

They have matching tattoos

Thanks to Kwasi, Barnacles accidentally finds himself telling sea monster tails when he's around the cubs

Avid Hamilton enthusiasts (both know the soundtrack word for word)

I can imagine these two drunk at a bar doing karaoke

They both had a stand-up comedy phase

Own a set of brass knuckles

Shared poetry appreciation

Sometimes Kwazii is too gullible to the things he sees on the internet and Barnacles has to talk some sense into him

They would do stakeouts together

Sing in the shower

Baranacles would drop-kick Kwazii if necessary

I also just like how Kwazii is always looking out for Barnacles

Look they are just so healthy and I love em

Light sleepers

Best volleyball duo

The best savers on the crew (Barnacles because he's responsible however Kwazii is there by default because of his pirate instinct to stash away cash (he'd forget about it and then when they are doing their yearly finances he'd just find that he'd accumulated like $40,000 (maybe stolen) in cash so he'd automatically win)

They can both breakdance? (much to the crew's horror)

Chat they are THE duo

Like lowkey imagine if one of them died, imagine how distraught they'd be (I think about this all the time) -> Imagine how they'd fall apart (Actually they remind me a lot of Brokeback mountain) (The main reason I try not to ship them is because I think it would just fall apart lowkey ) (sorry for this but they were literally the first people I thought of when I watched the movie)

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Kwazii and Peso

Both of them love gory horror movies (peso likes to analyse them) (for medical reasons he swears)

Can both speak Spanish and will have conversations in front of the crew in it or when they want to make some outlandish comment

Kwazii and peso are like opposites attract fr fr

Kwazii spends a lot of time in Medbay, much to Peso's dismay.

Because of this, the peso has trained Kwazii in medbay, because he needs assistance sometimes (and lowkey wants him to take better care of himself)

Peso will sometimes crash out in Kwazii's room if he's too worried to sleep

They would invest in a pair of matching light-up sneakers

Thanks to Kwazii's stories, Peso automatically jumps to the conclusion that something is a monster when he's scared by some unknown creature

The black and orange combo is always lethal

Peso always tries to actively include Kwazii in his family cause he's got like none (he can be an honourary penguin)

These two would not be able to sit normally (Peso would do the leg bounces or sit criss-cross and Kwazii would do a little perch thing)

Sometimes Kwazii would find a creature he wanted to keep for a bit and Peso would help him hide it (partially because he doesn't want him to get into trouble and cause he's concerned that Kwazii would hurt it while he's hiding it) so there would be random animals chilling in the medbay until Barnacles would find it and have to guilt trip him (using shellington) to go put it back (They would both get punished with the shitty chores)

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Dashi and Shellington

OMG I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

Either OTP or BROTP for me personally

I WANT WHAT THEY HAVE

THAT SHOULD BE ME

So um anyways... malewife and girlboss fr

Collects hairclips he thinks Dashi would like when they're on land

Loves listening to his rambles

Shellington loves that she can out-yap him when it comes to metrology

They are literally the peak childhood interest like space kid + sea kid

I just want them to be happy and wish that nothing bad ever happened to them

Photographs/films sealife + tells her all about it

I can imagine them working on articles together

Also, imagine they had one of those Sealife documentary things where Dashi is the cameraman and Shillington just yaps on about stuff they find

They both go to climate change rallies together

Shellington sometimes takes photos of Dashi cause he feels bad that she is never in them (although they're not the best quality Dashi treasures them)

They are chill around each other, they can yap for hours or sit in silence but they will still be happy

Give off old married couple vibes

They have a Stardew Valley farm together -> They both love the mines and always forget to water their crops (so their solution is to grind out in the mines poor until they have enough resources to make sprinklers) (Shellington mines, Dashis kills everything)

Dashi orders for both of them at restaurants

Morning person + night owl -> Sometimes Dashi will wake up at like 5am and realise that Shellington is still up and be like dude wtf go to bed

They share a weird appreciation for sundials

attached do not separate

One time Shillington noticed that Dashi was down and he tried to make her a snack. He proceeded to set fire to the kitchen

They've gone stargazing together (Dashi loves telling him about the constellations)

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Peso and Tweak

This combo is lowkey kinda niche

Rarepair

They are so cute omg

I can imagine them playing video games together

They have matching oodies cause I said so

The two shortest out of the main six (THEY're SO SMALL GAHH)

Peso sometimes tries to help out Tweak in the launch bay (not that he can really do much) and lowkey admires Tweak's strength

He Apologises profusely every time they come back with a broken gup (he feels so bad) tweak finds it funny

They both like licorice

Most prone to panicking (our little overthinkers) (I mean I guess it's obvious for the peso, but tweak definitely worries a lot)

Tweak will hold peso's hand if he feels nervous

Tweak sometimes obtains some bad injuries for things going wrong with the gups and it lowkey scares the shit on of peso. Like she'll just rock up to the medbay filled with chunks of glass and burns and be like "So... um, can you fix me up?"

Goated at operation board game (peso for obvious reasons and tweak would just treat it like a gup (much to peso's horror))

They love the peanuts franchise

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Barnacles and Tweak

Like brother and sister imo

They are such old souls

They share a love for rugby

Very brother/sister vibes imo

They're been friends for yonks

Would be the only two to carry actual cash (Kwazii would too but it's a mix of currencies)

Probably the only crewmate that Barnacles has never been mad at (she can do no wrong)

They sometimes reminisce about the old octopod -> they are both still lowkey bad about crashing it

Both of them know Morse code (sometimes they send each other silly messages in it just cause

I feel like they'd both be kind've weird about their birthdays (not that keen on celebrating for some unknown reason)

They'd tackle or like punch each other's arm to show affection (I'd imagine that Tweak is the only person that Barnacles can do this to)

They'd both have a shared appreciation for "Dad music"

I also feel like they would be really good at hockey (Tweak grass hockey (regular) and barnacles ice hockey)

Avid beanie hat enjoyers

They'd be really good at card games (like 500 or hearts)

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Peso and Shellington

OMG IT'S THE NERD BOYS

They study together

Shellington accidentally burns himself in the lab all the time, much to Peso's dismay. (he just wishes his crew would take better care of themselves)

They lowkey get the shits with each other sometimes (Like peso lowkey thinks shellington is a little bitch sometimes )

Sometimes heated debates just for the sake of it

They have number headcanons because they spent so much time doing math for their degrees

They also have favourite formulas

Have mixed feelings about organic chemistry

They could poison you in your sleep bfr

These too would be goated at an arcade

They'd fw the Sonic movies

Have the best book taste

They both have the most depressing music taste (they'll be listening to like the front bottoms or mitski or some shit for fun)

Shellington has zero spacial awareness so he's always getting injured

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Dashi and Tweak

IT'S THE GIRLS

BESTIES LOVERS OML

WOMEN IN STEM

I have an idea for an AU when these two just live out in the middle of the desert and they just build machines and blow shit up all the time maybe sell nifty weapons when they need a stash

They are super close as they are the only girls on the team

BUILD GADGETS AND GIZMOS TOGETHER

Dashi would let Tweak dye her hair sometimes - she would have two pink money pieces or pink skunk hair imo

You know their Minecraft worlds would go hard

Tweak admires her coding ability + Dashi admires her building skills

Early bird + night owl -> When Dashi realises Tweak hasn't slept in a day or two, she'll make her a hot chocolate drag her to her bed and just sit on the floor until she falls asleep

Dashi spends a lot of time with Tweak, so she's gotten a good grasp on the gups and does the daily maintenance jobs with Barnacles if Tweak has crashed out

They both enjoy Lego but the technic kind. Especially tweak, I just know my girl has the full-on Lego trainset

Dashi gets nervous about the impression she makes on Ranger Marsh (she felt super guilty when she crashed the octo-ray and made Ranger Marsh worry about tweak)

They are literally lalalala and okokokok

Sometimes Dashi gets too carried away with something she finds interesting and tweaks gotta be like c'mon girl be careful

Tweak would actually die for Dashi (and vice versa)

Dashi would buy strawberry cups and Tweak would be like huh (Nana reference?)

They would avidly use fairy comments (both irl and online)

They would be the ones doing the crew haircuts

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Barnacles and Peso

Father and son fr

god I love them

Every time Peso goes missing Barnacles has a heart attack (not that he wouldn't for the others but Peso specifically he's like GOD FUCK WHERE IS HE)

Both are major family guys, and love showing each other family photos and albums

Sometimes they jam out together

They both love Mitski

Love the cold weather -> will kill for a good snow day (much to the crew's dismay)

They die in the heat

Share a mutual love of sweet treats

Peso was wary of Barnacles at first but soon came to just admire/respect him

Both would cry during sad movies

Also both fw soap operas

Peso used to be afraid of the captain when they first met

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Shellington and Barnacles

Fathers TM

Guys, you don't understand how much I adore their friendship

But yes, they would bond over their shared fatherly struggles

Sometimes Barnacles wouldn't be able to sleep at night so he would just chill in Shellington's lab (Because he up until the ungodly hours) and he would just chill there. They wouldn't say too much, sometimes Shillington would talk about the research he was doing but he kind've understood that Barnacles just didn't want to be alone so he didn't pressure him to talk.

They both have the blandest taste out of everyone on the crew

Probably both think that salt is spicy

I feel like Barnacles neutralises some of Shellington's silliness so they are both just chill

They both have the goofiest pj's (canon)

Tallest members of the crew (you could literally climb them)

They both love info-dumping to each other - They'll take turns being listeners/yapper

They both share an insane love of Lego more-so the aesthetic models (Barnacles cause he likes to build ship models and Shellington well... he seems like the type)

They definitely thoroughly enjoyed the lego masters series

Honestly they both different flavours of tism for me personally

They share so many similarities that it's kind've scary -> like they are different genres of each other in a way that is crazy

Wait no I'm not crazy here me out -> They're both the omg I'm only good at one thing (they have a little bit of a complex about it), I need to be a good father (lowkey to compensate for this), have some trauma that holds me back a lil and also really goofy + super tall.

I personally think that's one of the reasons these two work together so well -> guys we need to talk about this more

They forced the whole crew (well mainly Barnacles) to do the 16 personalities quiz (I hc that Barnacles is REALLY into psychology and info-dumped about it so much to Shellington that he's lowkey invested)

After that, they made a chart for the combability of everyone on the crew

I'm not normal about the parallels these two share LIKE AHHHHH

Anyways -> they both have shitty eyesight (they both wear contacts most of the time but sometimes wear glasses)

Tell really corny dad jokes

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Kwazii and Tweak

Chaotic duo if ever

Kwazii sows bandanas for tweak

Tweak lowkey wants him dead for all the damage he's done

Has a chalkboard with a tally of who's done the most damage (Kwazii is 1st with Shellington following closely behind)

Tweak has taught Kwazii how to fix up the GUP-B himself because she's so sick of doing it (the best investment she's ever made)

They both love destroy boys (I know I've said this before but I'm going to say it again)

They both hand out the most insane disses (when necessary)

Play Clash Royale (and they're sweats)

Can't spell to save their lives

They would go on all the crazy rollercoasters at a theme park

Speaking of rollercoasters -> these two would definitely dig those videos of the top 10 craziest rollercoasters/waterslides (but tweak tell you if it was actually possible) (or better yet how SHE could make it possible)

Both share a weird appreciation for chainsaws

They'd road rage so bad

They're so evil together and I love it

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

Peso and Dashi

Sweethearts

Both are Kpop stans

They have weekly meetings to discuss the latest drama happening

They share an insanely popular fan account

They also both have matching photo cards

These two are definitely are the younger end of the crew (AND I AM NOT SAYING THAT THEY ARE LIKE 16. I THINK EVERYONE ON THE MAIN OCTONAUTS CREW IS AT LEAST 25+ AT THE MINIMUM)

They'll use modern slang just for the shits and gigs (they've definitely called Barnacles Sigma and Skibidi a few times just to piss him off)

They both play animal crossing but they are both SUPER competitive about it --> They are also RIGHT into the turnip stock market ( For some reason barnacles always has god-tier prices)

They make friendship bracelets together

When they are both feeling devious, they'll introduce the captain to some brain rot term and watch the rest of the crew go insane as he tries to incorporate it into his everyday lingo -> "Good work shellington, very Sigma" "Nice GUP upgrades Tweak, mogging the old designs" "Kwazi Istg don't be an omega and listen to me" -> They are not amused and want them dead (Barnacles just wants to be woke)

Dashi gets along surprisingly well with Peso's family

They would both have those little virtual electronic pet things (I forgot what they are called like the tamigoochee type shit) (if they were out on overnight missions, they'd give it to the other to take care of

They have really good eyesight

Have really nice scented shampoo

They both watched those really fucked up youtube videos as kids (like the Gacha or mlp horror types)

goated at origami

They'd be Hayday sweats

The mum friend

They'd do the daily wordles and connections together (but they;r also be lowkey competitive about it)

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Dashi and Kwazii

Chaos duo 2.0

Super energetic

They both love doing sports together - they both seem really athletic so I reckon they play each other often

Both are super competitive

These two both alternate being acting captain when Barnacles is not there and they bond over that

Both love spicy foods

I have this one really specific headcannon that they have cook-offs sometimes because hey why not and they divide into two teams: Dashi + Kwazii and Barnacles + Peso. (I feel like shellington is banned from the kitchen and Tweak well she cooks in the garage ifkwim, so they judge ).

These cookoffs would get HEATED, I reckon it's gotten to the point where they have thrown knives. But yeah Dashi and Kwazii are a killer combo in the kitchen

They both love fashion -> they also play dress to impress together (they'll roast all the other players and Kwazii usually wins)

Only person Kwazii can find that is willing to sword fight him (and doesn't instantly lose)

Dashi sometimes uses him as a model when she wants to practice portrait shots (he's probably the only one who's willing to tbh)

When they're around each other they often get tunnel vision which can get them in a little trouble (like in the Siphomphore episode) but it's ok, they love a little adrenaline rush

LOVE hotter weather --> they both love a good beach day

Dashi's still trying to teach Kwazii how to surf (he's getting the hang of it though)

Kwazii braids Dashi's hair (and vice versa)

They both love mean girls (they want to be Regina SO BAD)

Both love gold jewellery

Are both into star signs, planetary alignment, fate etc.

These two are probably the most spiritual in the crew.

I feel like these two actually wouldn't be too made if there was a zombie apocalypse

Violence is always an option

When they are bored they start placing stupid bets on each other and they will go to extreme lengths not to lose the bet

Dashi finds his fear of spiders amusing (like she's canonically Australian so she's immune to them)

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

Tweak and Shellington

underrated

Both are masters of their world and they respect each other for that

Nightowls -> Their sleep schedule is unholy

Will both go days without sleeping (this terrifies the rest of the crew)

They often need to be put to bed by other crew members cause they'll just be passed out somewhere

I can imagine them building bombs together

Both of them are AVID glass animal fans

They both use really shitty shampoos like head and shoulder type shit

Love Monster energy drinks and coffee a little too much

They also forget to eat too often (Honestly these two are just too obsessed with their professions and have horrendous self care)

They spend a lot of time together cause they are often stuck in the pod

Tweak tried to have some plants in her room but kept on forgetting to water them so they kept on dying. Shellington noticed and gave her some more, and made sure to maintain their health

Tweak secretly prays that shellington will become a better driver whenever she sees him around a gup (not that she's religious, it's just going to take a divine miracle to happen)

During beach days these two would just mess around with a metal detector (That's if shellington isn't messing with the rockpools)

They had adult braces

They sleep-talk a lot

They'd both own trapper hats

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

Barnacles and Dashi

leaders tm

These two have lowkey been parenting the crew since day dot

It's giving old man + the girl he decided to adopt

Both are barbs (Nicki Minaj fans) and listen to her together when the crew is out on missions

Dashi was lowkey like his apprentice in leadership during the main Octonauts series. They've spent a lot of time together

They spend a lot of time in HQ and unfortunately, they have to spend a lot of time doing boring paperwork and formalities/incident type of reports. I can imagine them just working on it late at night as boring and soul-destroying as it is cause nobody else is willing (or is serious) enough to do it.

Specifically, AnB, Dashi would definitely feel a huge amount of imposter syndrome in her role, and sometimes Barnacles would see that and just reassure her that she has done the training for this, she does deserve it and that it'll be alright.

Dashi adopted his mannerisms over time, like specifically the little stances. I've noticed she does the little hands-on-hip stance that Barnacles always does in AnB ( I just thought it was kinda cute)

Likewise, I reckon Barnacles adopted some of hers.

Another AnB one, sometimes Dashi would be debriefing about everything that's been happening to get and the stress surrounding her leadership position and barnacles would just be like "Yeah, I get it"

Both of them have matching Sanrio charms (Dashi gave one to him when he started mentoring her)

Would both die for their crew

Sometimes, they do improv practice together

Both are morning people. It'll be like 5am and they're like RISE AND GRIND!!! CEASE THE DAY!!

Really good at celestial navigation (Barnacles cause of scouts/dashi cause of metrology)

They are both heavy snackers (they love having a little munch when they are doing things)

Best huggers

Dashi canonically collects sunglasses so -> sometimes barancles borrows sunglasses for missions (which is amusing cause sometimes she gives him a really silly pair)

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

Kwazii and Shellington

SILLY AF

This friendship is actually so funny to me. Because I remember Kwazii HATING shellington at the start of the series. Specifically in that episode when they both go driving at night (I think?) and Kwazii's just like ugh ho why are you coming like you can barely drive GET OUT. Now Kwazii's out there like "OMG COOL CREATURE SHELLINGTON HOLY SHIT DUDE YOU'D LOVE THIS"

They are lowkey both Batshit crazy when left to their own devices

Would both find each other trinkets that they think are neat

Both of them share a love of learning new languages

Share a surprisingly large amount of info about Greek mythology

The Mayan calendar freaks them out (they take it WAY too seriously)

They both have zero spacial awareness

Sometimes Kwazii tries to act like a smartass around shellington (shellington quickly humbles him)

They would both intentionally eat chocolate bars in the most fucked up way possible

They would both own the most absurd pets

Shellington would casually mention something he's always wanted to see (like a plant or fish) and Kwazii would go out and retrieve it (which is fitting cause it's very catlike). It would probably be the wrong thing most of the time but Shellington doesn't tell him

Granny games would scare the shit out of them

They would've both set stuff on fire during science classes (intentionally (out of boredom) and accidentally)

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

Thanks for reading all that

I've never done this big of a post so I hope it was alright :)

(And that there weren't too many spelling errors)

[viperwhispered]

Rest

Guess what? I've got more Jamil x reader for y'all. You can also find this on ao3. No warnings, just 866 words of kinda fluffy(?) caretaking stuff with gender-neutral reader.

At this point, you know Jamil’s schedule almost as well as he does. So, when you have the chance, you head to Scarabia’s kitchen, hoping to spend some time with Jamil while he and the other students prepare dinner. 

However, when you enter, it takes you but a moment to notice Jamil’s uncharacteristic fumbling and the tired look in his eyes. The way Jamil’s chopping the vegetables has you worried about him cutting himself with that knife he’s usually so adept with, and it seems it’s only force of habit that’s keeping him on track.

You frown, and when your eyes meet Jamil’s, you can already see him put his guard up.

So he knows what state he is in, huh? And still, here he is.

It seems Jamil is reading your thoughts, all of him telling you drop it before any words are even said.

At least he still lets you lean in and give a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting.

“Hello love. Do you still have a lot on your agenda for today?” you ask, keeping your tone low for at least some semblance of privacy in the busy kitchen.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” is the response you get.

Of course.

It takes a little more pestering before Jamil actually answers your question. Your lips purse. That list is far too long to your liking.

You take a moment to think, juggling your own plans and to-do list against the urgency of the things Jamil mentioned.

“Will Kalim be eating from that?” you ask, pointing at the food Jamil is preparing.

“Yes.”

“Alright, I won’t be touching that one, then. I’ve gotta do a few things but I’ll be back when you’re done here.”

“Don’t,” Jamil says with a glare, clearly aware of what you’re thinking.

Yet even his disapproving look doesn’t have the usual weight behind it.

“Yes. I will,” you say firmly, even as your heart curls inwards with another bout of concern.

Really, when did he get so tired?

And how did you not notice it earlier?

You leave the kitchen before Jamil can protest further, hurrying through the dorm corridors to find Kalim.

Soon you have an enthusiastic – and concerned – supporter for your plans. You have Kalim point out a few reliable Scarabia students to help with a few of the most urgent matters Jamil mentioned – cleaning up the common areas, delivering some paperwork to Crowley, preparing some dorm-wide notices – while you see to Kalim getting his school supplies in order for the following day. You even recruit a couple of third years to help Kalim with his homework.

You’ll see to the rest tomorrow – after all, you do also have a boyfriend to look after.

Your conversation over dinner can hardly be called anything else than an argument – despite Kalim’s best attempts at acting as a moderating force between you two. It is very tempting to ask Kalim to tell Jamil to take the rest of the day off – it’s not like Jamil would be willing to openly disobey a direct order. Still, you really don’t need to remind Jamil of his position on top of everything else that you’re already doing more or less against his wishes.

Eventually, however, Jamil’s had a square meal, the most urgent things on his to-do list are being taken care of, and you’ve managed to drag him to his bed.

“I really wish you wouldn’t push yourself so hard,” you murmur, your arms wrapped tightly around Jamil. You’re telling yourself you really do just want to cuddle, to offer some respite to Jamil. Still, there might also be a part of you worried that if you were to let go, he’d just jump up and get back to working himself to the bone.

Yet, for all his protestations, just the fact that you’ve gotten Jamil to lay down with you speaks volumes of his current exhaustion.

“I can’t just leave my duties, albi. You know this.”

“Making yourself too indispensable, is what you’re doing,” you protest.

Oh, you know it’s not so simple. Not with his background, not with all the expectations and assumptions.

But sometimes you really wish it would be.

Jamil merely scoffs in response to your words.

Still, it is undeniable that he is slowly beginning to relax in your arms, slowly bringing his head closer to yours. His eyes are starting to flutter, too.

“I will still need to help Kalim with his homework, at the very least.”

You wonder who he is trying to convince more, you or himself.

“Amin and Khalil are helping him. They’re basically top of their classes, aren’t they? I’m sure they’ve got it.”

Still, Jamil frowns.

You sigh. He really is not letting go, is he?

“Do you want me to go supervise?” you ask.

And leave you, unsaid yet hanging there right after your words.

“Don’t,” Jamil eventually says, the word barely more than a breath.

It seems he has accepted his fate.

You softly caress Jamil’s hair, listening to his softening breathing.

And when you wake up, wholly unaware of having been lulled to sleep in the first place, it’s to the lightest of touches from Jamil’s fingers.

Tagging @diodellet @twstgo @crystallizsch @jamilvapologist @jamilsimpno69 as per request If you'd like to be tagged for any future works, let me know!

[riddler-enthusiast]

Riddlebird in The Batman (2022) and The Penguin (2024)

[fishofthewoods]

Oh my god I woke up this morning and my Stardew Valley meta post had almost 150 notes????? Hello?????????? Anyways I started writing this last night because @moon-is-pretty-tonight left nice tags on the original so thank you so much!!

We know from the starting scenes of the game that the farmer's grandfather loved Stardew Valley. So why did he leave? Pelican Town is a good place to grow old; George and Evelyn are just fine. It's a fine place to raise a kid, but maybe he just wanted to raise his child closer to real schools and other children.

Or maybe, just maybe, he understood.

Was there a day when he was in his thirties where he looked at his friends and realized they weren't like him? That he could run faster than them, work longer, explore deeper into the hidden places of the valley?

Was there a day when he went to the wizard to ask him for help, for knowledge if nothing else? Did he learn then that his family was different? Special? Chosen? And how did he react? He couldn't possibly raise a child in the valley if they would be as strange and fey as him. He had to leave. There was no other way.

But years later, on his deathbed, did he regret that choice?

Is that why he gave the farmer the letter?

Is that why they went back home?

When the farmer steps off the bus that first day, the valley is still on the cusp of winter, just barely tipping over into spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, but a chill still hangs in the air. As soon as the farmer's boots touch the soil there's a change. The air gets warmer. The trees get greener. Not by too much, not all at once, but it changes.

The junimos watch the farmer as they do their work. They're new to farming, but take to it with frightening speed; their first batch of crops is perfect. None of the townsfolk tell them that parsnips don't normally grow in less than a week, that cauliflowers don't grow to be ten feet tall, that fairies don't visit when the sun goes down and grow potatoes and beans and tulips overnight. The junimos talk amongst themselves in their strange, wild language, and agree: this is the one. They're back. The valley recognizes its own, even when they've left for a generation. The farmers have come home.

Things change fast in the valley. The community center, empty and decrepit for so many years, is rejuvenated. (Lewis says it was abandoned only a few weeks after the farmer's grandfather left. Strange coincidence, he says, that it both came and went with the farmer's family.) The mines and the quarry, similarly abandoned, are explored for the first time in ages. The town becomes cleaner, brighter, more vibrant, happier.

And it is happier. Not just the environment, but the people. It's the talk of the town for weeks when Haley does her first closet purge. Leah's art show in the town square is a huge success. Shane's smiling for the first time since he moved to the valley. All of them, when asked, say it's all thanks to the farmer.

People love to ask why Lewis didn't fix the community center on his own. Why Willy never repaired the boat to ginger island. Why Abigail or Marlon never went down to fix the elevator in the mines, or why Clint didn't fix the minecarts.

But isn't it so much more interesting to ask how those things were there in the first place? How they got so broken down? If the stories the townspeople tell are true, the valley was once a beautiful place, flourishing and full of life; why did that change? When did it change?

Was it when the farmer's grandfather, the locus of the valley, its chosen representative, left town?

And if so, what happens when the farmer comes back?