#i'm sorry this is so long this trailer is living RENT FREE in my head and i have a lot of ffeelings about everything

[blackidyll]

!!!!!!!!!!!!NEW NEO TWEWY TRAILER DROPPED DIDJA SEE IT BC IT TELLS US MORE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND I'M SO EXCITED I'M BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS!!!! watching Shibuya get hecking DESTROYED and Uzuki and Kariya saying that the Shinjuku peeps came to do to Shibuya what happened to Shinjuku AND RINDO CAN'T RESET AND THAT'S WHEN NEKU APPEARS AND I THINK THAT'S HIM FOR SURE THIS TIME AAAAAAH!!!! (he's wearing gatto nero! Those clothes look a lot cooler than the hoodie lol)

anon!!!!!!!!!!

i actually caught the trailer crossing my feed so i watched it and when i finished i was like "where is my twewy anon i need to yell about this can i just post on my blog @ twewy anon or something" AND LO AND BEHOLD YOU SENT THIS MESSAGE FIRST ILU AHHHHHHH

there was a lot to process and the Neo related revelation that got to me is the one you mentioned: um Shibuya actually getting destroyed and the fact that the Shinjuku reapers came here to actually DO THAT? i knew there would be a good reason why the Composer kept the Shinjuku reapers separate rather than integrate them all as /his/ reapers, but hoooooo boy I have so much speculations now omg. i'm also getting a major soft spot for Rindo and it made me really happy that Neku (YES THAT IS DEFINITELY HIM THAT SPIKY HAIR AND THE HOOD/COLLARED SHIRT HAHAHAHA) protects him. BUT LET ME BE NOSTALGIC FOR A MOMENT which is when Transformations started playing I immediately got blasted to the past and the fashion/shops and the food system and even the reaper reviewww and the PIG NOISE are stuff I missed and as someone who has visited real world Shibuya a couple of times it's amazing how they got all everything down so accurately I could immediately identify a couple of non-named landmarks and it's just... so good.

OKAY SPECULATIONS AND TWEWY SPOILERS FROM HERE ON (for you anime folks just in case the reports etc etc don't get covered in the last episode) BUT AFTER WATCHING THIS TRAILER MY BRAIN LITERALLY WENT:

NEKU AS PRODUCER NEKU AS PRODUCER NEKU AS PRODUCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEAR ME OUT. I already talked about why Neku can take on any number of roles in the UG and we all know that death is just another change of scenes when it comes to RG -> UG -> angeldom. Another bunch of signs from this trailer: Wildkat Cafe is gone (Hanekoma's domain). Neku's glitchy effects and the fact that he falls under the radar as he currently is in the UG (the Producer does not reveal his identity as the Producer, but he can interact with players aka LIKE RESCUE RINDO??? The way Hanekoma stopped Neku from killing Shiki, gave him the fusion pin, saved Rhyme etc). Gatito is Hanekoma's brand - he picks up the threads but personally designs the Gatito pins; Gatto Nero’s mascot is modeled after Mr. Mew and who else would honour and push forward both that brand and the symbol in the UG OTHER THAN NEKU???????

And then this???? ANGEL WINGS ON NEKU’S HEADPHONES? WALL TAG IN NEO GAMEPLAY? THIS SYMBOL IS ALSO ON THE TITLE CARD FOR THE ANIME'S LAST EPISODE (I inverted the colours so you can actually see the super faint light grey wings/headphones behind the words) . I'M---

I don't think Neku is an officially sanctioned Producer, like turning in reports and all that jazz. From the original Secret Reports we see that the higher plane doesn't/can't (?) interfere directly with the UG, um "All eyes from the Higher Plane are on this Game for the future of Shibuya. Should its result be invalidated by outside interference, the Angels' disappointment would be vast" like thanks angels Shibuya's Composer wants to destroy his UG and there are taboo noise and a freaking fallen angel running around BUT LET'S JUST WATCH IT LIKE AN EXPERIMENT. Oh Shinjuku did get destroyed? How interesting lets see how Shibuya copes with that WELL NO WONDER NEKU'S DOING THINGS UNDERCOVER HE SACRIFICED A LOT TO SAVE SHIBUYA THE FIRST TIME AROUND. but anyway this would mean that Neku is the Composer's Producer and they are up to Things to save Shibuya and also would be a very nice nod to "trust your partner" (the fact that they are working together) and all of this would make me very very very happy indeed if true...

(what's up with Hanekoma? Maybe he's really gone the fallen angel route because drastic times require drastic measures! Welcome, new unholy triumvirate of Shibuya's "just a spot of murder, dibs on the rainbow!" Composer, the new and wildly unpredictable "i don't follow anyone's rules, time to subvert everyone's expectations" Producer, and "hey I love coffee and Shibuya so much I'll fall!" Fallen Angel).

On my shrieking at the end of the trailer:

SHIKI??? (the greenish jumper coat matches her green top when the crew meet up at RG!Hachiko). AND WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS POSE BEFORE HMMMMMM BUT ANYWAY ADULT? FORM?? NOT GLOWY??? 

also i was screeching too much about the above to realize that there’s something after the NEO:TWEWY title card at the end of the trailer so I just literally saw this while rewatching the trailer to grab screenshots and EXCUSE ME? EXCUSE ME EXCUSE ME???????????????????? *brain short circuits* 

[cyrillean]

today, in "things literally no one asked for": all of sasara's verses in every song and drama track, ranked from worst to best

disclaimer that if you know enough about rap to be able to actually discuss and compare this sort of thing, uh, i have to warn you i don't so you might take psychic damage from reading this. but I TRIED

(also, this does not include the stage plays songs, sorry about that. it also does not include the curry thing, because i refuse to acknowledge it, thank you.)

ALSO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS JUST MY OPINION and if you disagree id love to hear why. this is just for fun and because the funnyman lives rent free in my head

14. sasara's verse with rosho in Aikata: deep sigh... im holding myself back from ranting for 10 paragraphs about this, but i genuinely think this showcases all their flaws as partners. it's not atrocious or anything, it's just. their styles cancel out in a way that reflects all their fears come true. it's cute tho

13. Survival of the Illest: Maybe I just didn't like the live performance, so I won't be able to rank it for sure until we get the official version of this and the BAT ones, but given Dotsuhon live performances tend to be even better than the studio versions, I'm inclined to say I straight up don't like his verse here lol?

12. Wara Osaka: ......yeah this is just thoroughly meh to me. Gives me the same vibes as his verse with Rosho in Aikata. Just not interesting. At least the song itself is really fun for something to vibe with without demanding that much attention.

11. Summit of Divisions (the bit from the leaders section in the trailer): Literally the most forgettable verse in this part of the song. Not bad, just thoroughly unremarkable both in the context of Sasara's verses and in the fact that all the other leaders have STELLAR verses here. Structure wise it makes sense going into Kuko's final verse, which probably only hits AS hard BECAUSE sasara's bit passes right by you, but still.

10. his parts in N☆PS: This song is fantastic, but Sasara is really just here as the glue to tie things together- the real standouts in this one are Rei and Rosho. Still, special shotout to him counting down in a speech.

9. sasara's solo verse in Aikata: perfectly standard sasara rap. this is like the baseline of what should be expected from this clown imo. the lyrics are kinda toothless but the way he delivers it doesn't disappoint

8. Joy for Struggle: It's only just a bit above The Sasara Standard Of Quality. Real good, real fun, takes advantage of the fantastic instrumentals of the song, and his confidence carries him a long way- but let's be honest, Ichiro sort of wiped the floor with him on this one

7. His first verse in Summit of Divisions: Judged solely as rap his bit here is nothing special, but in the context of the song itself, it's one of the most fun parts, he really leans into the vibe of the song by giving a little breather that's still genuinely fun and keeps the energy going into Rosho's verse.

6. Helter Skelter: much like everything else about sasara in helter skelter, his verse here is INTERESTING... he drops a lot of his usual flair and instead delivers a very, hm, i don't know enough about rap to describe it; it's very technically impressive compared to his usual stuff? I wouldn't be surprised if this is a peek at what he sounded like in Ikebukuro. If he'd carried this energy into Joy for Struggle it would have at least been a more interesting fight

5. Division Battle Anthem +: ...I think Sasara may well be the ONLY person who perfomed BETTER in Rap Battle than in Battle Anthem. I still prefer his verse here, but it's very style over sustance. That in no way means it's bad tho because absolutely NO ONE has a bad or even mediocre verse in this song, and I appreciate his kanto-ben joke its cute

4. Division Rap Battle +: I don't actually like his verse here much, but relistening I have to admit it's actually very, hmm... it's sasara going all out with style, he does SO much in just 20 seconds. In Tragic Transistor he calls himself a southpaw rapper, and I don't know enough about rap to know if he's bullshitting or not, but this verse makes it hard to argue with him.

3. Tragic Transistor: He does not shut up for a single SECOND in this entire song, and lets none of that time go to waste. The song itself barely changes at all, and the choruses are relatively speaking very short, so he carries the whole entire three minutes by himself without it EVER getting boring. He manages to rap for a whole song about himself, without actually SAYING anything meaningful about himself, and yet STILL asserting dominance WHILE being a clown. this song is a joy to rap

2. Aikata(s): Unironically fantastic, which goes for rosho's parts as well. in many shonen Fights Between Allies (tm), i feel like even if they SAY they're not holding back, they end up being like "oh it doesnt matter who wins, what matters is that we're enjoying the battle and giving it our all" etc. well this is NOT the case here, they are HONEST TO GOD BOTH FIGHTING TO WIN, and sasara genuinely throws out some lines i wouldn't have thought he'd say to rosho. just a great battle imo

Tragic Comedy #1. Osaka Dreamin Night: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, COME ON EVERY PART OF HIS VERSE HERE IS ICONIC. HAI DOMO DOTSUITARE HOMPO DESU. TAMUKETARO KA HIGANBANA. IM A TRAGIC COMEDY NUMBER 1. THE BIT WHERE HE PUNS AROUND HIS NAME FOR LIKE FOUR FULL LINES. this is such an addictive verse to rap it's just so fun and bouncy with just a dash of threathening. HONA NEEEE

[hanktalkin]

absolutely fascinated by all your tf2 meta posts because... lmao well. this game and its chaotic patchwork lore have been living in my brain rent-free for half a decade now

1. honestly between "18 perfect idiots" and "the teufort nine" and the various flanderizations that have occurred between different writers/comics... I love thinking there are two separate teams, but then stuff like mvm and all of the comics make you wonder where the other nine mercs are running around. it's a whole hamster wheel of stuff like "if blu engie is assisting the administrator, then where is red engie?" and "whose mum is red spy in a relationship with? why does red scout remember things that happened to blu scout?" and "is the red team in the main comic story... actually the red team? doubtful??". absolutely endless

2. I also wish the comics went into more detail re: the team situation and the team dynamics/living arrangements. so badly. very intrigued by how the classic team seems to have stuck together (or at the very least kept in contact) for all these in-universe decades, though

3. "If RED soldier and BLU soldier are the same person is boots n bombs well and truly sunk bc i was kind of counting on zhanna to get with one & demo getting with the other in order to keep all my ships afloat" same lmao

... there's no central statement/thesis to this ask. just likewise hoping comic no.7 comes out eventually and *maybe* addresses any of this

Based on a (now deleted I believe) tweet by Jay Pinkerton, the official TF comics are committed to the "nine mercs" model. The comic was all plotted out before he left, so I'm going to guess that no. 7 isn't going to give us the satisfying conclusion we actually want. My guess is that Engie's just going remain BLU, and it's not going to be remarked upon. Sorry to burst your bubble 😅

Don't know if I'm repeating myself since it's been years in between these meta posts but yeah! I'd love to see how they would have combo'd the setup we see in the steam trailer where they all live and hang out together, with the tenser, no-respawn world of expiration date. Like, they fight BLU and can totally die at any time, but somehow they all always survive due to whatever wacky hyjinks were going on that week. Phineas and Ferb style.

I've gone on a bit about how I think BLU Solly = early soldier characterization and RED Solly = later characterization, but if things could line up so easily with another character I'd choose Heavy. Meet the team Heavy spends the last ten seconds of a minute long video yelling and laughing his head off. Comics Heavy is the strong silent type, as commented frequently. MtT Heavy's best quote is "some people think they can outsmart me. [..] but few can outsmart boolet." Poker Night Heavy has a degree in russian literature. They were obviously finding their footing w this character over the course of several years, and if we could split one of those personalities off into BLU Heavy it'd be so tidy.

[bumblesimagines]

Sharing Is Caring

Request: Yes or No

Summary: (Y/N) Keller never believed in true love. He did hookups but nothing serious. It broke Betty's heart since she had fallen for him the moment she met him. Her hurt and jealousy intensifies when Veronica Lodge joins the picture but Veronica has the perfect idea.

~

Betty turned the page of the book, feeling the edge of the paper as she read the lines. Her line of thought was disrupted as someone put their book down infront of her. She looked up, seeing light green eyes and slicked-back hair. She smiled gently.

"Kev.." She greeted softly. Kevin grinned in return, sitting across from her.

“You won’t believe who asked me out on a date!” Kevin took off his bag, placing it on the table. Betty giggled at his excitement, feeling happy for her friend.

“Remember Joaquin?” Betty nodded. “Well, he said that he’s free later tonight and asked if I was up for a date at Pop’s and added that I could bring a friend and their partner as like a double date type of thing. So... I was wondering if-”

“Kev, I don’t have a boyfriend.” Betty reminded. Kevin pouted, nodding.

“I know, Betty, but you can always come with a friend. Maybe Archie?”

“I don’t think Valerie would like that.”

“Jughead?”

“Jug doesn’t do ‘dates’.” Betty closed her book, sliding it into her bag. “Why don’t you ask Arch? He’ll happily help.” 

“Yeah but I want my bestie to be there.” Kevin placed his head on his fist, eyes distant as he tried to come up with something. Betty watched his eyes light up and a grin spread across his face. She frowned. That grin brought nothing but trouble.

“Hey, (N/N)!” Kevin called out. Betty straightened her back and quickly smoothed out her pink sweater. Kevin chuckled quietly, watching his friend silently freak out.

“What’s up, Kev?” (Y/N) asked, hand gripping his backpack strap. The hood of his jacket was up, making his face pop out more. His lips were stretched out into a smile, showing off his pearly whites. 

“I’m going on a double date and Betty here needs someone to go with her. I was wondering if you could tag along? Unless you have practice?” Kevin stared up at his brother with puppy eyes. (Y/N) rolled his eyes.

“Kev-”

“Please?” With a defeated sigh, (Y/N) nodded.

“Okay, fine. I’ll go on this.. double date with you. I’ll finish practice early, alright?” (Y/N) ruffled up his brother’s hair, glancing at Veronica as she sat down. 

“Sorry, I’m late! Mrs. Jefferson held me back.” She explained, giving them all smiles. Her eyes landed on (Y/N) and her smile grew wider. She stuck her hand out.

“Veronica Lodge, pleasure meeting you, handsome.” She purred. Betty dug her nails into her palm, watching them shake hands.

“(Y/N) Keller.”

“Kevin’s brother? I’ve heard so much about you!” Veronica tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear. 

“All good things I hope..” (Y/N) glanced at his brother with a cocked brow. Veronica giggled, nodding.

“He brags about you a lot. I see why now.” She said, finger toying with her pearl necklace. Betty licked her lips, heartbeat picking up. Of course, Veronica just had to come along and insert herself. Kevin cleared his throat.

“As much as I’d like to see where this goes, I’m afraid my brother has things he needs to do,” Kevin said. (Y/N) rolled his eyes, saluting them as he walked away.

“He’s a walking snack. The genes in your family are crazy.” Veronica said, watching him. Kevin chuckled, nodding.

“We get that a lot. But in other news, (Y/N) does not care about love. He wants to focus on his grades and ice skating. He does hookups but absolutely nothing serious. He’s a notorious heartbreaker, even though he doesn’t mean it.” Kevin told her, glancing at Betty. Veronica hummed, picking up the green apple.

“There’s nothing a Lodge can’t fix.” She smiled, biting into the apple. Kevin swallowed.

“Uh, another thing is... Betty has had the biggest crush on him.” 

“Oh..” Veronica chewed on the apple piece in her mouth, nodding slowly. Betty shifted her gaze onto the table.

“It’s not a big deal or anything... If you like him, you should go for it. I won’t stop you.” Betty mumbled. Veronica reached over, hand grabbing her wrist gently.

“I’m not gonna fight with my new bestie over a guy! We can... Share. After all, sharing is caring.” 

“You guys do know I’m still here, right?” Kevin questioned playfully. Betty gave a small smile. 

~

“And where are you going, young lady?” Alice questioned, arms crossed as she watched her daughter get ready. Betty glanced at her as she tied her hair back.

"I'm going to Pop's with Kev."

"Just Kevin?"

"And his brother." Betty stared at her reflection, fixing her off-shoulder navy blue sweater and jean skirt. Alice raised an eyebrow.

"(Y/N)? Hmph." She tapped her finger against her arm. Betty looked at her mom.

"What?" She asked softly.

"Nothing, Betty, I just think it'd be better if it was you and Kevin alone-"

"Kevin's boyfriend's gonna be there and he didn't want me to feel like the thirdwheel so he invited his brother. Plus, mom, you know (Y/N) is more focused on skating and school." Betty said, pulling two strands out of the ponytail to complete the look. Alice sighed, nodding.

"But I want you home by 11. Sharp." Betty nodded, watching her mom walk away. Betty put on some gloss before grabbing her bag and flats. She put the flats on and headed downstairs. Betty opened the door, closing it behind her once she stepped outside. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Betty!" She opened her eyes, looking at the boys. She smiled, getting off her porch and approaching the car. (Y/N) was driving, considering it was his precious car, while Kevin was in the passenger seat.

"Hey, Cooper." Joaquin greeted.

"Hey, Joaquin." Betty gave him a smile.

"Oh, wow, I think this is the first double date I've ever gone on with my brother." Kevin said.

"And it's gonna be the last." (Y/N) replied playfully, smiling at his brother. Betty giggled, glancing out the window. Her eyes slowly moved from the passing trees to (Y/N). He kept his gaze on the road as Kevin quietly hummed along to the music. Joaquin gazed lovingly at Kevin making Betty smile. They were total opposites yet the perfect couple. Betty thought about her and (Y/N). He was the nice, sporty guy while she was the sweet cheerleader. A typical couple but everyone loved it. Betty blinked as the car stopped and everyone began to get out. She got out of the (F/C) car, watching as Kevin and Joaquin held hands when they entered Pop's.

"How are we gonna compete against that?" (Y/N) joked, locking the car. Betty smiled.

"I don't think anyone can beat them." She replied, walking with him. Pop's was a bit empty, a few couples and random people sitting around, some working while others chatted. Betty slid into the booth Kevin and Joaquin were in, (Y/N) following. Betty stayed mostly silent, listening to Kevin tell funny stories. All throughout, (Y/N) would chime in while Joaquin just watched Kevin, pecking his cheek and causing the bubbly boy to swoon. Betty flushed when (Y/N) propped his arm around her casually but she told herself that it wasn't romantic. (Y/N) was just comfortable around her.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Joaquin asked. Betty felt her ears heating up.

"We're not a couple." She said with a shy smile.

"We're friends." (Y/N) removed his arm from around her, leaning forward and drinking from his milkshake.

"Oh, well, you two would make a cute couple." Joaquin said. Betty shrugged.

"(Y/N) is keen on not finding love until high school's over." Betty said. Joaquin cocked a brow.

"You only experience-"

"High school once.. Yeah I know. Everybody tells me that. I mean, I have my whole life to find love, why start now?"

"Why not? At this rate, you'll join the Olympics and that'll take up all your time." Joaquin wrapped an arm around Kevin.

"I don't mind. I'll probably leave this town after high school... Go off and compete professionally... Probably find a girl and marry her-"

"Have kids and come back to this tiny town to live off the rest of your years." Joaquin finished for him.

"Happens to the best of us." (Y/N) shrugged.

"What about you, Betty?" The blonde played with the sleeve of her sweater.

"I'll probably stay here.. Take up a job as a reporter or teacher." Betty replied, swirling her straw around the glass, watching the milkshake mix together.

"I always saw you as a housewife." Joaquin said.

"Everyone seems to think that." Betty watched as Kevin and Joaquin paid the bill before getting up. They left the diner, going over to (Y/N)'s car. Kevin and Joaquin got in the back, making Betty sit in the front.

"Keep your pants on until I drop you off, alright?" (Y/N) huffed at the couple making out. Betty laughed softly, staring out the window as (Y/N) turned up the music. He dropped Kevin and Joaquin off at the trailer park.

"What time do you have to be home?"

"11."

"It's only 9, mind if I stop by the rink?" (Y/N) asked. Betty shook her head.

"Course not." She smiled. (Y/N) hummed, driving to the ice rink. He parked the car, getting his skates and entering the cold building. Betty followed him, looking around the empty building, apart from the man renting out the skates. (Y/N) changed his shoes into the skates, getting on the ice and skating around. Betty watched him, noting how graceful and concentrated he was. She had seen him compete a few times before. He was definitely going places. Betty stood, going over to the shoe area and renting a pair. She slid them on and wobbled onto the rink.

"Ever skated before?" (Y/N) asked. Betty shook her head, stepping onto the ice. She grabbed onto his shoulders and tried balancing herself.

"The key is not to freak out." He cooed, hands grabbing her waist. Betty smiled nervously, gripping his jacket as she stood straight. (Y/N) slowly skated backwards, pulling Betty along.

"I've rollerskated before but never skated on ice." Betty said, moving her hands from his shoulders to his arms.

"Then you'll learn quickly." He assured, grabbing her hand and slowly skating. Betty eventually relaxed and let go of his hand, skating by herself. Nothing impressive but at least she hadn't fallen yet. (Y/N) smiled, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

"It's relaxing.. Keeps your mind off things." (Y/N) said, tilting his head up and sighing. Betty held both of his hands, the cold and fear of falling long gone.

"Yeah.." (Y/N) looked down at her. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up. Betty laughed softly, placing her hands on his shoulders. She let out a soft sigh as he placed her back on the ice.

"I see why you like it so much." She said, slowly realizing how close they were.

"Alright, lovebirds! We're closing." (Y/N) chuckled, looking at the man.

"Alright, Tom, we'll be out of your hair soon!" (Y/N) called back. He led them to the exit and got out. They changed out of the skates, Betty returning the ones she rented. They left the building, heading back to the car and getting in. The drive was silent but peaceful.

"Right on time." (Y/N) smiled, watching the time turn to 11:00 PM. Betty chuckled, getting out of the car.

"I'll see you on Monday, (N/N)." She said.

"Mhm, see you later, Bets." He replied. Betty closed the door, heading up to her porch and unlocking the door as she heard the car drive off.

"How was it?" Alice asked, approaching her as she cleaned her hands with a rag.

"It-"

"Jesus, Betty, you're freezing!" Alice said, touching her daughters face.

"We went to the ice rink, mom." Betty chuckled, taking her hands off. Alice sighed, watching her head upstairs. Betty entered her room and collapsed on the bed. So close. She heard a buzz and picked up her phone, looking at the screen.

"Heard about the date! How was it? Remember I only want to share, not compete! Xoxo"

Betty sighed, wondering how to respond to Veronica.

[pkg4mumtown]

Welcome to Hawkins PD (Ch. 2)

Chapter Title: Welcome to Hawkins PD

Chapter 2 of 9?

Read Chapter 1 HERE

AN: Don’t ask me why I’m torturing myself by doing 1st person cover art, now. I have roughly 9 chapters outlined so far and it probably won’t go more than that. Hope you enjoy.

Warnings: Smoking, cursing, Hopper trying to be funny

Summary: You get to know your Chief a bit more as you make your way into Hawkins.

Taglist: @kingphillipblake​

If you'd like to be in my taglist (for this fic or everything) or removed, lmk. I'm not tagging anyone I had on my "all writing" list last year because I don't know if they still feel the same!

The start of the drive was uncomfortably tense. My nervousness was more obvious as I took my sunglasses off, allowing the Chief to see my eyes darting around the cab. I eventually let my gaze focus on the passing trees and forestry, getting lost in the green blur.

“Not too chatty, huh? We’ll get along just fine,” Hopper smirked as he basically asked and answered himself. He glanced at me for any kind of reaction, instead seeing me zoned out, “You okay, kid?”

I hadn’t been intentionally ignoring him but was snapped out of my stupor by the word “kid” hanging in the air.

“Kid?” he asked again.

“I’m not a kid,” I snapped and crossed my arms. I mumbled under my breath, hoping he wouldn’t yell at me as the words left my mouth, “I’m twenty-seven years old for Christ’s sake.”

Hopper simply raised his eyebrows and scoffed, “Sure got the hearing of one.” He tapped his steering wheel rhythmically and pursed his lips, “Twenty-seven, huh?”

“Mhmm, why?”

“Just older than what usually passes through the academy is all,” he shrugged.

“Yea, well, I tried to be a good little secretary and then a telephone operator just like mom and dad said but…” I trailed off.

“But what?”

“I fucking hated it, sir,” I sighed, suddenly remembering my manners. “When I told them I wanted to join a police department, they figured I meant as a secretary or a dispatcher. Imagine their horror when I packed up and told them their little girl was off to be a cop.”

“Old fashioned folks,” Hopper nodded.

“Still not an excuse, sir,” I grumbled.

“You can drop the ‘sir’ act, Y/L/N. You’re not a recruit anymore. ‘Chief’ or ‘Hopper’ work just fine at our station.”

“Sorry, s—Chief,” I murmured.

“It’s fine,” he brushed it off with a wave of his hand. “So, they didn’t come to your graduation?”

“Nope,” I punctuated by popping the “p”.

“Christ, I’m sorry…”

“My best friend came, at least. She got me these,” I smiled, pointing to the glasses that hung from my uniform.

Hopper chuckled at the sight of the glasses mimicking his own, “Yea, that’s a necessary part of the uniform. Next is the hat,” he tilted the brim down and winked.

I let out a not-so-feminine snort as both of our laughter filled the truck. I was worried I’d been too rude before, so I was grateful for the break in tension. I covered my mouth as I laughed, feeling Hopper’s stare as his chest vibrated.

“What?” I asked as I caught him staring instead of paying attention to the empty road.

“Nothin', just the first time I’ve seen you laugh. You’ve been so serious up until now,” he looked away quickly. “It looks good on you, y’know?” he added, his voice barely a murmur.

I felt my face heat up at his words and if his ears were any indication, he was embarrassed as well. I didn’t have to be a detective to see that. I cleared my throat and murmured my thanks before growing silent again.

“So, um, they help you get set up with a place in town already?” Hopper changed the subject.

“Uh, no, I’m gonna stay at a motel for a couple days while I get that and transportation sorted.”

“What!? No, no, no, no,” he replied quickly. “Trust me, you don’t want any part of those motels,” Hopper gave me a terrified glance, like he’d definitely seen some shit there. “I’ve got a trailer I moved out of that you can rent from me.”

“Chief, really, it’s okay. I can—”

“Y/L/N,” he cut me off with a pointed glare. “You can stay there as long as you want or until you find somewhere better. I’m not gonna charge you an arm and a leg for rent,” he reassured me.

“Thanks, I really appreciate that,” I gave him a small smile.

“Hey, I’m not as big a jerk as everyone says I am, alright?” Hopper grumbled.

“Who says that?”

“You’ll see,” he shook his head and sighed. “We can swing by the utilities office when we get there and get everything turned on for ya.”

The rest of the drive managed to fly by as we chatted, nothing too personal and mostly more about me than him. He drove me to the trailer after getting everything sorted out with the utilities and setting me up to make payments. The long driveway to the trailer crunched under his tires but the bumpy ride was worth the view in the secluded area.

“This is it,” he grunted as he put the Blazer in park.

“This view is great, why’d you move?” I asked as I took in the surroundings and spotted the lake behind the trailer.

“Eh, it’s just too small,” he motioned towards his torso with his hand.

I rose an eyebrow at him, letting my gaze land on his torso, flick over to the trailer, and back over to his face, “You’re not that big.”

“You know,” he started with a mischievous grin as he opened the driver’s side door, “a less secure man would have taken offense to that.”

“Chief!” was all I could manage to berate him with as he turned away from me and broke out in to laughter.

We jumped out of the truck at the same time and this time I didn’t protest when he offered to help me with my bags. His keys jingled softly as he stomped up the stairs and unlocked the door to the trailer. Hopper and his obscenely thick fingers fought with the keyring for a moment before finally freeing the key and handing it over to me.

“Here,” he murmured and held the metal between two fingers, effectively dwarfing the key, “and there’s a spare key under the first step,” he nodded outside.

Hopper took a couple spins around the living room and sniffled loudly, “Little musty, sorry. Um, I left quite a few things here, so it might just need some picking up and dusting. I kinda moved in a hurry.”

“It’s not a problem, it’ll give me something to do, Chief,” I reassured him.

We fell into an awkward silence, causing Hopper to step semi-discreetly to the door. He fished his pockets for his business card as he spoke, “Well, uh, if you need anything…”

I graciously accepted the card from him, “Actually, Chief, d'ya happen to have a map on you? So, I can figure my way around this place by Monday?”

“Shit, what am I thinking?” Hopper murmured to himself, realizing he’d just dropped me off seemingly in the middle of nowhere without a sense of direction. His brows knitted together in thought, making his thinking face look angry, “I can show you around right now if you want? Maybe grab lunch while we’re at it as a…congrats?” His lips pushed up and his eyes squinted as he waited for my answer.

“You don’t have to do that, really. I’m sure you have better things to do on a Saturday,” I tried to refuse. “I can manage with just a map.”

“My daughter is at her friend’s house, so I would either sit at the station bored off my ass or drink myself to sleep at home,” Hopper pursed his lips and feigned thinking with his hands on his hips, “Or I can give you a welcome tour.”

I laughed at this ridiculous man and his antics and finally relented, “Fine, but let me change at least.”

Hopper agreed and showed me the rest of the trailer. It was hard not to imagine this hulking man living in this tight trailer as he effortlessly stalked through the rooms. I could almost see his body engulfing the small couch or his broad shoulders bumping walls when he’d get drunk. The tour ended in the bedroom with a bare mattress and the floor littered with the odd empty pack of cigarettes. I tossed my duffel on the bed and started sifting through the civilian clothes I had packed. I heard Hopper open the closet and make a low noise of surprise.

“Hey, I left clothes here,” he held up a red flannel shirt from the closet, which contained a couple pairs of pants and a few random shirts. “A change wouldn’t hurt, nothing happens on the weekends,” Hopper brought the shirt to his nose and grimaced, but shrugged and piled it in one arm anyway. “If this shit gets in your way, feel free to throw it in a bag and chuck it in my office.”

I had pulled out jeans, a shirt, and a sweater and laid them on the bed. By the time Hopper turned back around with his findings, I had halfway unbuttoned my uniform shirt without thinking twice.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Hopper held up his free hand to his eyes right away. “At least let me leave first, Y/L/N! For Pete's sake…” Hopper felt his way out of the room, nearly tripping when his foot caught on the threshold.

As we got back in the Blazer, Hopper chucked his uniform in the back seat. He fetched a pack of Camels from his pocket and held them up in question.

“Mind?”

“Not if I can bum one off you, Chief,” I smirked, grabbing my bun and releasing my hair from its confines. I slipped my hair tie around my wrist and shook my hair out, not really caring how it looked, only that my scalp could breathe.

The corner of Hopper’s mouth turned up before he was shaking the box and pulling out a cigarette. He let it rest between his lips, then turned the box toward me so I could grab one for myself.

“First things first,” he mumbled around the cigarette while lighting it. I leaned my head forward as he brought the lighter towards me. After, I leaned back in my seat, hearing the snap of the lighter closing before I saw his hand extending towards me. “Jim,” his lips closed loosely to avoid dropping the cigarette as he waited with an open palm.

I shook his offered hand, fighting the urge explore the ridges of his palm, “Y/N.”

We took off in the direction of town, silently filling the Blazer with smoke. I tried my best to memorize my surroundings as Hopper pointed out different stores and buildings. He rambled about the owners of certain places, far more than just a Chief might know.

“You grow up here?” I wondered aloud.

“Yea,” he let out a silent laugh, releasing smoke from his lungs as he did. “Moved back about six years ago or so. Good catch.”

We pulled into the diner parking lot, just as my cigarette reached its end, “Damn, I’m sad that’s gone,” I spoke mainly to myself.

“Yea, Bridge got mad at me for trying to bring one when I visited ILEA a month back. How long were you deprived?” Hopper joked while getting out of the car.

“Mm, four months and change,” I answered slowly as if I was unsure.

“Ouch,” he grimaced and stepped ahead of me to open the diner door like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I pushed down my tendency to blush but failed, instead using my hair to block my cheeks from Hopper's eyes. What can I say? I had a thing for old fashioned manners.

He nodded a silent greeting to a waitress and made a beeline for an empty booth, because I guess when you’re the Chief you can just do that. After receiving an odd look from the waitress as we ordered drinks and more stares from women in the diner, I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. The waitress came back around to take our food orders and drop off our drinks, my drink earning me a mocking eyebrow from Hopper.

“Milkshake? Really?” he choked out a laugh around his cup of coffee.

“Excuse me, I’m still allowed the rest of the day to celebrate, Chief,” I replied with an air of pride and a smidgen of sass as I wrapped my lips around the straw.

“You’re right, you’re right,” he chuckled and shook his head, staring down at his coffee and then glancing out the window in a quick canvas.

“Thank you, though,” I started, causing him to meet my eyes. “Thank you for celebrating with me when my own family wouldn’t.”

Hopper swirled his coffee before speaking, “Guess you could say…we’re your family, now.” He raised the mug up and toward me, so I did the same with my glass. He tapped our glasses together in a toast and let a satisfied smile spread over his lips, “Welcome to Hawkins PD.”

I nodded enthusiastically and brought the straw back to my mouth, “Yea, I'll drink to that.”

I sipped on the shake, casually glancing around the dining area and seeing quickly averted eyes. I chewed my straw and furrowed my brows in thought. I’d been silently pondering for so long that I hadn’t realized Hopper was watching the wheels turn in my head.

“What’s up?”

“Mm,” I made a noise indicating I’d heard him as I swallowed. “Why am I being stared at by every woman here?”

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “Small town, new face…women gossip, is the first reason.”

“And the second?”

Hopper took a deep breath through his nose, “Remember when I said that everyone thinks I’m a jerk?”

I simply nodded in understanding.

“Well, ‘everyone’ meant…women.”

We sat in silence for a few seconds while his words washed over me. My eyebrows flew up as I realized what he meant while my hand moved to hide my laughter.

“No!” I gasped in amused shock behind my hand as I deciphered his words.

“Yeah,” he rubbed his brow and grimaced at my shocked face.

I leaned forward on my elbows, smiling widely. His playfully forlorn face told me he knew I’d figured it out and was waiting for the impending grief I was going to lay on him. “Chief…you’re a slut?” I couldn’t hold back the giggle that escaped my lips.

“Correction, I used to be a slut, alright?” he rolled his eyes. “I stopped when I adopted my daughter.”

“Mhmm,” I raised an eyebrow at him as if I didn’t believe him.

“I’m serious!”

After eating, fighting over paying for lunch (a fight he won), and taking me to the grocery store (yet another fight he won), we pulled up to the trailer. Hopper helped me take the bags inside and lingered in the living room.

“If I have any questions,” I showed him the map I stole from his Blazer, “I’ll call you.”

“I’ll keep an ear out,” he smirked and opened the trailer door.

I held the door open as he walked out, stopping when I spoke up, “Wish me luck buying my own car tomorrow.”

Hopper stopped in his tracks and turned around, “What were you gonna do? Walk to the dealership?”

“Uh, bus?”

“No,” he shook his head, turned, and kept walking, “I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow.”

“Chief!” I protested, but he kept walking to his Blazer.

“They’re less likely to haggle you if the Chief of Police is there, alright!?” he shouted back, not giving me another chance to speak as he got in the truck.

Chapter 3

Hopper stuck his arm out of the window, offering a passive wave of his hand and a smile as he turned the truck around. I leaned against the doorframe and waved back, wondering how in the hell I was supposed to survive a career next to Jim Hopper.