#just like how jeff looks in a cowboy hat

[hellboys]

JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as Sam in Desierto (2015)

[ladykailitha]

Hellfire Exotic Club Part 4

Yay! This story is really moving along and were getting to all sorts of plots coming up for you.

With any luck I'll finish Secret Tunnel (aka the Game Show AU) and then just so it goes up and you can read it before the end of the time, I'll be doing a one time posting on Tuesdays.

"A Love Connection" coming to your screens this Tuesday!

It looks like it will be about 7 chapters and lot of fun. So stay tuned for that.

In this we Steve making waves and Jeff having a heart to heart with his best friend.

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3

~

It was Saturday night and Chrissy and Steve were debuting their fallen angels. Eventually they were going to get color change outfits made up so that they were white when dry and red when wet. So that by the end of their dance, they’ll be devils.

Eddie was so thrilled by the idea that he ordered a couple of different outfits for them so they didn’t always have to wear the same outfit every week.

What they wore as Samael and Eve weren’t anything like their Sins, Satan and Lilith. Steve was having his own outfit made, so for now he was merely wearing the very held on together with too many pins outfit of the former Envy. Bill was much broader than Steve and his out was meant to be tight.

When he first tied them on he looked ridiculous. Steve refused to wear the cowboy hat that went with it because one, it was hideous; two, he had no way of knowing anything about Billy’s hair care or lack thereof to be considered safe; and three, because Steve was a vain ass bitch and refused to cover his hair for anyone.

So until their costumes came, Steve and Chrissy were just wearing skimpy white outfits that they removed during their dance.

It featured Samael and Eve being tempted by Lucifer into falling. It was sexy as hell and Eddie didn’t mind getting to dance with them both.

After all, Eddie was bisexual and both Chrissy and Steve were amazing dancers. Steve wore wings that by the end of their dance, Eddie had ripped off. Eve and her apple. Turning into the gluttonous Lilith, having tasted temptation and wanting to devour it all.

Then it was Eddie’s turn with the hour in the spotlight and he began with his guitar. He played like a rockstar and as he played and screamed his heart out, the clothes came off until there was nothing between him and his sweetheart.

Then he would set the guitar aside dance in just his boots, bumping and grinding for the crowd and all their hard earned money, now his.

Everyone was thrilled with how well the angels dance went down. Well, almost.

Eddie was putting the club’s take of the money into the strong box that would then be locked in his safe in the floor when he got a knock on his office door.

He looked up from his count. “Stella! Come on in. Have a seat. What can I do you for?”

She moved with all the deadly grace of cobra.

“That was a pretty impressive dance tonight,” she hummed non-committedly. “You and Chrissy and the new guy.”

Eddie was a smart man. He gotten to where he was based on that and his good instincts. And both were screaming Stella was in fact not impressed.

“It feels good to shake things up a bit,” he hedged. He wasn’t sure what her complaint was. That Steve and Chrissy got ‘extra time’? That Eddie was playing favorites? That they were a trio instead of duo or single like they usually were?

“We aren’t called Heaven and Hellfire Club, Eddie,” Stella huffed. “There’s shaking things up and then there’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

Ah. The Heaven theme. “A lot of the demons in hell were fallen angels. Lucifer, Samael, Abbadon, Rosier and several others. We’re just tapping into the more Judaic and Islamic mythos instead of relying on the Christian one.”

She pursed her lips and Eddie could feel a storm brewing.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Eddie continued, cutting her off before she could build up steam. “If people don’t like it, we’ll stop. But at least for tonight, we pulled in good money for that dance.”

Stella nodded primly. “You’re right, Eddie. We’ll see.”

Like that wasn’t ominous as fuck.

~

Steve didn’t feel as nervous tonight as he had last week. He had had more time with the dance and he felt more confident in his skin. He knew by now that not everyone stripped, but he wanted to try a little tease tonight to see how that went over.

He leaned over the stool in the middle of the stage and waited for the lights to come on. This was his favorite moment even when he was back doing ballet. He loved the beat between the spotlight being off and then on.

That moment of hushed silence as the crowd takes in a collective breath in anticipation. Waiting.

Waiting.

Bam!

The lights came on and Steve snapped up his head. He pulled his body over the stool and straddled it. He ran his fingers over his body and looked back into the crowd with a pout.

Half way through his hour of dancing, he looked over his shoulder at the crowd and slowly unzipped his corset and then pushed it down his body, as money flew through the air.

Yep. That would certainly do the trick. He turned around and dipped down low, spreading his legs. He bounced right back up. He spun and then did the splits, slowly sinking to the floor. He brought his legs back together and arched his back, leaning on his hands. He laid completely flat and undulated his body. He sat back up and tucked his legs under him.

He crawled toward the front of the stage where there were men and women alike waving fists of cash at him. He let them tuck the bills wherever it would fit and then stood back up.

He finished his dance back on the stool and turned away from the audience. He looked over his shoulder again and winked.

~

Eddie was going to go feral. This was it, the end of his sanity. It had slowly been ebbing away for years but this?

This destroyed the last tether he had to reason. He didn’t drink on the clock. Because he knew the second he got drunk some catastrophe would happen that he would need to be sober for and he’d fuck the whole thing up.

But god, did Steve’s little wink at the end make him want to start with one end of the bar and go all the way down, drinking everything he could get his hands on.

How his hands managed not to shake when he handed Steve his cut of the night’s earnings, he’ll never know. But he even got in a sincere smile while he was at it.

He quietly put the money in the lockbox to be combined with Saturday’s take and taken to the bank first thing in the morning. He locked up his office and went out front to wait for the cleaners. When he got out to the bar, he saw Jeff waiting for him.

That brought him up short. If he was expecting anyone to stay for a chat it would have been Chrissy or Gareth. Jeff pulled out a bottle whiskey and poured them each a glass before sitting down. He patted the stool next to him.

“Come on,” he murmured gently. “I’m not gonna bite you.”

Eddie scoffed and did as he was told. This was bound to be a better conversation then the ones he had with Stella and Steve. At least this time there was booze involved. He picked up the glass and swirled the liquid around before taking a long drink.

“You did good bringing him in,” Jeff started. “More people are coming in then they were before and tips for everyone have gone up.”

Eddie looked over at his best friend and then cocked his head to the side with a half shrug. “I was about ready to go drown my sorrows and give up finding anyone who could replace Billy. Because, yeah for all we brandy about him being stereotypical, he got warm bodies into the club every Sunday night.”

“He certainly could out Magic Mike even the best of strippers,” Jeff agreed. “Too bad his personality was shit and he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants off the stage.”

Eddie drained the rest of his glass and poured himself another. He turned in the stool to face Jeff. “See that’s the part I don’t understand. Why would he sleep around with married women? Especially high profile married women? Because that was just asking for trouble.”

“Because it’s not about sex,” Jeff said with a shrug. “It’s about power. He could have sex with any woman he wanted so he went for the ones in power so that he could control them. Dude was a class A asshole.”

“That’s true,” Eddie scoffed. “But no, I’m glad Steve is settling in. Since Scott’s been helping him learn the moves, he’s been picking them up faster and even adding his own moves.”

“When you got him in to see Ellie?” he asked downing his drink. “Because if he was in a costume that actually fucking fit, he’d be bringing in even bigger numbers.”

Eddie winced. He loved Ellie. She did all the costumes for the club and was always happy to make him new ones. Hell, she was super excited to do the costumes for the fairy tale night. But he was having a hard time getting Steve and her together in the same room because of how wildly different their schedules were. He really wasn’t thinking about that when he gave Steve his schedule.

“I’m working on it,” he muttered darkly. “She’s already slammed with some of the extra work we sent her. I don’t know what Steve does on his days off, but he’s been super busy so it’s hard to get the two of them in the same room.”

“Just have her show up to one of the shows,” Jeff said, “and have her take the measurements between him shaking his assets.”

Eddie snorted. “She likes making our costumes but she passes on the actual show.”

“She’d be in the back in the dressing rooms,” Jeff huffed. “Because he needs to get costumes that fit his style. Hell, he needs to dance his style. The envy dance was great for pole, but Steve barely touches the damn thing. Which considering his past experience is a little weird, but that’s not here or there. He needs to be able to branch out.”

“Would you tell that to Stella, please?” Eddie growled. “She’s already been on my ass about the angel thing. She’s trying to clip his wings before he even gets them.”

Jeff poured them both another glass. Eddie raised an eyebrow. He didn’t usually have more than two. “Don’t worry, I’ve got Uber on standby, but I think we both need this right now. But to answer your question, some people just don’t like change. Especially since she is one of the last vestiges of the KitCat Kitty Club. Her and a couple of the backup dancers. When they saw Billy get fired, suddenly they got very afraid for their jobs.”

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie said, playing with his glass and really not drinking it. Around them the cleaners were getting to work. They were used to Eddie having a drink with one of his friends and just did that section last.

“You just have show them you understand where they’re coming from,” Jeff said, “without letting them push you over. You’re boss after all.”

Eddie glared at him. “And how do you suppose I do that, pray tell?”

“I don’t know,” Jeff said waving his hand. “Fly casually.” He snorted when Eddie hit his arm. “Look, man I don’t know. I’m just a dancer. I shake my ass and I get paid for it. You’re the real brains of this place. You took it to new heights when it should have failed. You brought in some of the best dancers this town has ever seen by the sheer grace of just being friends with them. I don’t know why you’re asking me for advice.”

Eddie buried his head in hands. He sat like that for a moment and then drank all the whiskey in his glass in one gulp. He put his head on the bar and thunked it a couple of times. He was good at this. He could do this.

“I can handle this,” he said waving his hands at the bar. “What I can’t handle is how hot Steve is. Like what the hell?”

Jeff threw his head back and laughed. “Can’t help you with that one, man. I’m straight.”

“God, I wish I was straight or gay instead of the bisexual disaster that I am.”

Jeff put his arm around his shoulders. “People still think you and Chrissy are still an item?”

He nodded morosely and then laid his head on his arms on the bar. He turned his head to look at Jeff. “I can’t beat the allegations even with my personal no dating staff rule.”

“Maybe they just want you to be happy,” he said, finishing his drink and setting the glass behind the bar for the crew to clean up.

“It’s just she’s not out as a lesbian,” Eddie whispered, “and I worry she’s going to be pushed into revealing something she’s not ready to yet.”

“So take a night off once and awhile and date, man,” Jeff huffed. “You give everyone at least one night off, two if you can swing it. But when was the last time you stepped into a club that you didn’t own?”

Eddie scoffed. “Probably never.”

“You have me and Chrissy to help you run this place,” Jeff reminded him. “Take a day off, rest. Hell, go visit your uncle. I bet that bastard misses your scaly ass.”

Eddie shook his head and finished his third glass. “I should. I call him all the time, but it would be good to see him too.”

“I think you’ve had your head so wrapped around this club,” Jeff said, “that you forgot to be someone other than ‘boss’.”

Eddie let out a slow shuddering breath as he pushed away from the bar. “Thanks, Jeffy. I owe you.”

Jeff laughed. “You don’t owe me shit. I love my job and I know there would be no other place in or out of this fucking state that would take a black man as a headlining stripper, let alone one looking like me.”

“Which is a damn shame,” Eddie replied. “Let’s find that Uber of yours and go home.”

Jeff laughed. “You’ve become such a fucking lightweight.”

Eddie pushed him and then wrestled and tussled as they exited the bar.

In the back of the bar one of the cleaners watched them go with a furrowed brow.

~

Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

And don't worry, I haven't forgotten our little cleaner, they'll make an appearance later. ;)

Tag List: ONE SLOT REMAINING

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

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @cryptid-system

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

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

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

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @dreamercec @sadisticaltarts @too-much-tma-stuff @dolphincliffs @chameleonhair

10- @themoonagainstmers @gloomysoup @novelnovella @micheledawn1975

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

I'm taking a break from my regularly scheduled WIP to bring you this Scoops Ahoy AU one-shot. It's a long one.

Eddie was about to enter Scoops Ahoy when he saw Steve in front of the counter, his back to him. He was in full uniform, hat on top and all. He was practicing drawing his scoop like he was a cowboy. Eddie's eyes wondered over his backside, giggling at Steve being a dork, and his heart was beating rapidly. Yeah, he liked that a lot, especially the legs attached to the ass. Steve twirled around and smiled at Eddie. He drew his scoop and pretended to shoot him. Eddie clutched his chest and dropped to the floor. He heard Steve’s laughter ring out, and it was the best thing in the world. Shit. He liked Steve Harrington. Eddie jumped up and took off, barely listening to Steve screaming behind him.

"It was just an ice cream scoop!"

Eddie ran all the way out into the parking lot and jumped into his van. He turned it on and thought about where he wanted to go, and then he cursed. Shit, he was supposed to meet Jeff here for a movie. He turned off his van and jumped when someone knocked on his window. He yelped when he saw that it was Steve Harrington. Eddie looked at him wearily before rolling down his window.

"Making special deliveries now, Cap?" Eddie asked, hoping he was actually as calm as he thought he was being.

"Only for people who drop their wallets," Steve grinned, holding up his wallet.

Eddie squeaked and went to grab it, but Steve pulled it back with a grin.

"Never took you for a bully, Harrington," Eddie smirked.

"Seriously?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, a little bitchy? Yes. Bully? No. Not even you would do that. Too busy hiding secrets in that hair of yours," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh. And what secrets are hiding in your hair, Munson?" Steve asked, leaning on the frame.

Eddie trailed his fingers across Steve’s arm. Shit, was he really flirting with him?

"How about you climb into the back of my van and find out?" Eddie asked.

He surprised both of them with that question. He didn't think that he would be so forward. Steve grinned.

"Okay, but I only have fifteen minutes," Steve said he set his watch.

Steve started walking around to the other side, and Eddie quickly scrambled into the back. He flopped onto his back and onto the blanket he kept in the van. Steve opened the door, crawled into the van, and closed the door behind him, lying down beside Eddie.

"So, I have to ask," Steve said, leaning on his elbow. "Why did you run away when I shot you with my ice cream scoop?"

"Uh, there was a bee. A really big bee," Eddie said.

"A big bee, huh?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. I, uh, I really didn't think I ever liked bees before, but I saw this bee, and it was actually kind of cute. A cute dorky bee," Eddie said. "It scared me how much I liked this bee."

"So, was this bee blue, white, and red?" Steve grinned.

"Hmm, you cracked my code," Eddie said. "Damn."

"So is it the fact that I'm a jock or the fact that I'm a guy?" He asked.

"I've always liked women, and I never even questioned it even when other people assumed it about me," Eddie said. "And they always did."

"Funny, people always assumed I was straight even though I wanted them to think otherwise," Steve said.

"I'm obvious. You're not," Eddie grinned.

Steve laughed and placed his hand on his chest, dragging his nails gently across his chest.

"So, you really didn't think I was an asshole in high school?" Steve asked.

"No, mostly because I know how much you tried to stop the basketball players from beating the shit out of us," Eddie said. "Even Tommy Hagan was harmless. He was all talk and too much of a chicken shit to actually do anything about it. Plus, Gareth told me all about how you once stopped Tommy Hayes from beating the shit out of him."

"I fucking hate that guy, him and Jason Carver both. I tried to go to Principal Higgins about it, but he seemed like he was really out to get you. I don't what the fuck that guy's problem with you is but I kind of wanted to kick his ass," Steve scoffed.

"There's a picture," Eddie grinned. "So, did you always know you liked guys? I mean, I should have known at some point, right?"

"I don't think that you can put an exact time frame on something like this, especially since it's different for everyone. I was reading a parenting book, and it suggested that you shouldn't compare your child with other children because they grow and develop at like different rates," Steve said. "I figure that probably works the same with sexuality too."

"Why were you reading a parenting book?" Eddie asked.

"Oh, these kids that I babysit have been having nightmares, and I've been trying to figure out the best way to help them," Steve said.

Eddie pinned him down and climbed on top of him. Steve looked at him in surprise.

"You're the fucking cutest," Eddie said.

He leaned down and kissed him. Eddie mewed softly against his mouth when Steve kissed him back and grabbed the back of his head. His other hand was pressed against Eddie's lower back. Eddie kissed him roughly, rocking his hips against his. He liked the feeling of Steve’s lips against his and the way his hands felt in his hair. He definitely liked the way his hand felt against his backside. His entire body was buzzing. Eddie reached behind him to grab Steve’s hand and moved it so it was cupping his butt. Steve chuckled against his mouth. Suddenly, the van door flew open, causing them to break the kiss. Jeff stood there, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"Hey, man," Eddie said casually as he continued to straddle Steve Harrington.

He couldn't explain this one away, considering Steve’s hand was on his ass.

"What?!" Jeff exclaimed.

"This is exactly what it looks like," Eddie said.

"I didn't know that you were into guys," Jeff said, looking at them both.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Steve asked with wide eyes, and Jeff laughed.

"No, man, I'm gay," Jeff said, and Steve breathed a sigh of relief.

"You didn't know I was into guys?" Eddie asked with a scoff. "I didn't know I was into guys."

"So, new discovery then?" Jeff asked, and Eddie nodded. "Want me to close the door?"

Jeff wiggled his eyebrows at Eddie. He was about to reply when Steve’s watch went off. Eddie frowned.

"Damn it!" Steve cursed. "I have to get back to work."

"We were making out longer than we thought," Eddie said with grin. "Can we do this again?"

"Yeah, you got a pen?" Steve asked.

Eddie dove towards the front of his van, grabbing a pen out of a cup holder. Steve whistled at his ass and Eddie cackled as he turned around, handing Steve the pen. Steve grabbed his arm and began writing numbers into Eddie's skin. Once he was finished, he bent down and blew on the ink to let it dry, looking directly at Eddie while he did it. Eddie shuddered as his breath hit his skin.

"Call me," Steve winked and hopped out of the van. "See you . . .?"

"Jeff," he replied.

"Jeff," Steve said, nodding at him and walking off.

"Wait, my wallet!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Check your back pocket!" Steve yelled.

Eddie frowned and checked his back pocket. Sure enough, his wallet was there.

"You sexy magician," Eddie muttered.

"Dude, that thing with the number was insanely hot," Jeff said. "Are you going to be able to concentrate on the movie?"

"I'm going to do something to screw this up. I know it!" Eddie exclaimed and buried his head into the blanket.

A couple of weeks later, and so far, Eddie hadn't screwed anything up. It was going well for him and Steve. He had called Steve that very same night, and they had talked for an hour before agreeing to meet at Steve's house for their first date. The asshole had cooked him dinner and everything. Eddie had insisted on cleaning the dishes with Steve, which had turned into them splashing soapy water at each other. After that, they sprawled onto the couch to watch TV, which had turned into a heavy makeout session that had Eddie losing his shirt and Steve nibbling on his tattoos. According to Steve, they're hot. Now, here he was bouncing into Scoops Ahoy to visit Steve. Steve’s co-worker, Robin, rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey, Stevie, is it your breaktime yet?" Eddie grinned.

"Yes, and for the love of God, do your little drug deal in the storage closet," Robin said. "If you must."

Steve grinned as he pulled Eddie into the break room and then into the storage closet, turning the lock.

"She thinks I'm selling you drugs," Eddie laughed as Steve pushed him up against the wall.

"Yeah, I got you something," Steve smiled and started digging around in his pockets.

"Yeah, you do," Eddie wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, not that," Steve snorted. "Although, maybe later if you're a good boy. Here."

He pulled a bumblebee pin out of his pocket. Eddie grinned and took it, an overwhelming wave or affection for the guy in front of him. He quickly added it to the pins on his vest.

"Thanks, Stevie," Eddie said and kissed him softly before cooing at him. "Sweet boy."

Steve blushed as he fiddled with the pin on his vest.

"I was hoping to ask you a question, and I'd get if you don't want to or if you want to keep thing the way they are but - ," Steve said.

"Will you be my boyfriend?" Eddie blurted out.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed, his eyes bright. "That's what I was going to ask you."

"You should know that I've never wanted to be someone's boyfriend before, not until you came along," Eddie said. "I don't know even know how to be a boyfriend."

"We'll figure it out together," Steve grinned.

Eddie kissed him, pulling his body close to his as he wrapped his arms around his neck. Steve smiled against his lips, slipping his tongue into his mouth. Suddenly, the door opened, and Robin burst in.

"I need help - Shit!" Robin exclaimed.

"I, uh, lost something," Eddie said.

"What? Did you lose your keys in his mouth?" Robin asked.

"I might have," Eddie scowled.

"And you searched for them with your tongue?" She asked.

"It's really good search method," he said.

"Try again," she said.

"He really wanted a discount," Eddie said.

"Hm, that's a little more believable," Robin said.

"Steve," Eddie whined.

"Relax, Munson, I'm a lesbian," Robin said.

"Really?" Eddie and Steve grinned.

"Yeah, I hate to pull you away from your boyfriend, but there are a lot of customers now, and I need help," Robin said softly. "Oh, did you know that the lock on this door is broken?"

"I do now," Steve replied.

"Nice bee pin, Munson," Robin said.

"Thanks, my new boyfriend gave it to me," he said, batting his eyelashes at Steve.

"That's cute," Robin said. "He pinned you."

"I know! We're sooo going steady. I'm hoping he'll give me his letterman and takes me to the sock hop," Eddie squealed, batting his eyelashes again.

"Okay," Steve rolled his eyes and pushed them out of the closet. "You two are not becoming friends."

"We're all becoming friends, Harrington," Robin replied.

"Oh. Well, that's okay then," Steve said softly.

And friends the three of them did become. Eddie even invited them to see their band play at the Hideout. They had both enjoyed it immensely to his delight. Robin and Jeff had hit it off, most likely laughing about Eddie and Steve. Eddie didn't think that Steve would pull him into the bathroom and get on his knees for him. He didn't think he was that good, but Steve, apparently, thought differently. Steve had been a big hit with all of his friends, especially when he remembered Gareth by making note of the fact that he didn't have his braces anymore. The only thing left to do was introduce Steve to his uncle. Coming out to Wayne had been easy because it didn't change anything between them like he thought it would.

"You're my nephew, and I'm still your uncle. If I didn't give up on you when you robbed that truck full of weed, then there is nothing you can do or be that's gonna scare me off, son," Wayne said.

Now, here they were, waiting for Steve to arrive. He should have been here by now. Eddie was pacing the floor of the living room, his stomach in knots.

"Relax, son, he's going to be here," Wayne said.

"I feel like something is wrong. Something is seriously wrong," Eddie frowned.

Suddenly, there was a loud mechanical roaring sound like the sound of a helicopter. Eddie and Wayne walked outside to find several military looking helicopters flying overhead. Eddie quickly scrambled on top of the trailer to see where they were flying. Eddie blanched when he saw the smoke, and he quickly scrambled back down.

"What?" Wayne asked.

"There's smoke coming from Starcourt," Eddie said. "Steve works there. I need to go!"

"We're both going, and I'll drive," Wayne said, clapping a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I knew it, I knew it," Eddie kept muttering as they drove.

When they pulled up to Starcourt, they found a military blockade in front of the mall. They were denied entry as soon as they walked up. Wayne pulled him aside.

"I'll distract them. You go find your boy," he said.

Eddie looked at him doubtfully for a moment before Wayne started yelling at the guards. Eddie took the opportunity to run past them.

"STEVE! STEVE?!" Eddie shrieked as he fought through people's arms.

He was full on sobbing, his eyes blurry with tears. He didn't notice until he ran into Hopper.

"Munson, what the hell are you doing here?" Hopper asked.

"I'm looking for Steve. Is he okay? He's not - tell me he's not - " Eddie started to babble.

"EDDIE?!" Steve’s voice sounded from across the parking lot.

Eddie let out a strangled sob and ran across the parking lot. He threw his arms around Steve’s neck, hugging him tightly. Steve was stunned for a moment, but he soon wrapped his arms around Eddie, hugging him back just as tightly. Eddie pulled back slightly, but not out of his arms.

"Oh my God, baby, what happened to your face?" Eddie asked and then sighed. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it right now. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Steve. . .who is this guy, and why did he just call you baby?" A curly haired boy in a hat asked.

"This must be Dustin," Eddie grinned.

"Oh, you talked about me?" Dustin asked with a grin.

"Dustin, this is Eddie Munson," Steve rolled his eyes.

"Oh! He's the friend you wouldn't shut up about," Dustin said.

"You wouldn't shut up about little old me?" Eddie batted his eyelashes at him and paused. "You can tell your kids, I don't mind."

"Eddie's my boyfriend," Steve said.

"Boyfriend?!" Dustin and the kids exclaimed.

"Eddie, the redhead is Max Mayfield, El Hopper, Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler, and this is - "

"Will, right?" Eddie asked.

"Oh my God! You're the guy from the music store!" Will exclaimed excitedly.

"Huh?" Steve asked.

"Mom! It's that guy from the music store that I told you about!" Will said excitedly. "The one who took the baseball for me!"

A short woman with brown hair and brown eyes came wondering over.

"You're the one who did that for my boy?" She asked.

"Yeah," Eddie said.

"Thank you. I'm Joyce Byers, by the way," she said and hugged him tightly. "Did I just hear you're Steve’s boyfriend?"

"Yes," he said.

"Oh, that's so great. I'm happy for you, Steve. He sounds like a great guy," Joyce said. "You guys are cute."

"Thanks, Joyce," Steve smiled.

"I didn't know you were gay, Steve," Mike said, not unkindly.

"We're bisexual," Steve and Eddie said in unison.

"We like both," Eddie explained when some of them looked confused.

"You can do that?!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Yes, idiot," Max said. "I think it's so cool that you're both bisexual."

"We think so too," Steve said.

He felt Steve leaning against him, and he looked over at him in concern.

"I'm going to get this one to a hospital," Eddie said.

Robin parted her way through the kids and stood on Steve’s other side.

"I'm going with you," Robin said.

"I don't need to go to the hospital," Steve said.

"Yes, dingus, you do," Robin said.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, sweetheart," Eddie said.

"Okay," Steve said as Eddie slipped an arm around his waist.

His uncle was waiting by the van, and he grimaced at the sight of Steve.

"You okay, son?" Wayne asked.

"He will be once he gets to the hospital," Eddie said.

"You must be Wayne. I'm glad to finally meet you. Wish it was under better circumstances, though," Steve said.

"Me too, son," Wayne said and helped Eddie get him into the van.

Robin climbed up front while Eddie climbed in the back with Steve. He pulled him into his arms as Wayne drove off.

"You scared the hell out of me," Eddie whispered.

"Sorry," Steve replied.

"Nothing to apologize for," Eddie said. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," Steve said.

"Steve - I, uh, - " Eddie said nervously.

"Yeah?" Steve asked.

"I love you," Eddie whispered.

Steve picked his head up and gazed at him. It was true. He loved him. This time, he wasn't going to run away or sabotage it. The only direction he wanted to run to was towards Steve.

"I love you too," Steve said.

Suddenly, there came a loud sniffle from up front.

"Uncle Wayne, are you crying?" Eddie asked.

"No!" Wayne exclaimed, and Eddie cackled. "Shut up, boy!"

Eddie threw his head back and laughed. His life was complete.

[humanityinahandbag]

Steddie: Sticker Fic (Part 1)

“Hey, Munson?” Eddie turned and Steve was there, in his space, leaning forward until Eddie was pressed back into the kitchen island. He could smell Steve’s cologne, could see the moles and freckles across his face, could taste the air around him, like honey and butter and frosting. And then Steve reached out and pressed his fingers to Eddie’s chest, drawing back just as quickly, leaving Eddie’s skin warm and tingling. He’d also left something else on Eddie’s shirt. He barely registered what had happened until he was sitting back down, and Dustin's eyes were on him along with the rest of the kids. "No fair!" Dustin pointed, scowling at Eddie's shirt. "How come you got that one!" "Uh," said Eddie and looked down. I Did an Amooooozing Job Today! said a cow in a cowboy hat.

Eddie Munson was doing his best to push down his absolutely tragic crush on Steve Harrington. He'd been doing a pretty good job of it, too.

And then Steve brought out the goddamn stickers.

(or: Steve flirts using stickers. The kids go feral for them. Puns are everywhere and they are terrible. And Eddie is losing his goddamned mind.)

-

The first sticker appeared on a Tuesday.

Hellfire Club had been tentatively invited back into the school as a sort of withering olive branch, most of the school officials and adults shamefaced about the whole almost killing a kid in a jock-led Satanic Panic Mob thing. They’d put on their best faces and tried to appeal to Eddie’s mercy (even Principal Higgins had swallowed down his repulsion to say mistakes were made). 

But in the end it hadn't made much of a difference, and Eddie Munson got to watch each and every one of their faces fall deeper into sticky guilt when he said “no thank you”. 

It wasn't easy. Hellfire had been held in the back of the theater room since he'd started the club. Through bullies, black eyes, and the burning stares of teachers, that room had given Hawkins High at least one space he could be himself without apology. Without danger of being called a fag. Of being too slow to dodge a punch.

It was him, his friends, the stories they crafted.

And giving it up was like leaving a piece of himself behind.

But the fumbled apologies from adults (who should have known better, who'd never liked him, who'd been completely okay throwing words and stones and demanding his head, who suddenly looked to him to absolve their sins) made him feel skeevy. The guilt was warranted, but as his Uncle firmly told him it wasn’t his job to make a bunch of no-good-kid-hunting adults feel better.

"You ain't their priest, son. If they can hunt my boy so easily, then they shouldn't have any problems hunting down someone to listen to their goddamn confession, too."

Eddie had the scars along his body, a chunk of flesh eaten from his thigh, and a missing left nipple to show for their mistake . He had nightmares and flashbacks and nights where he woke up in a cold sweat expecting to see a mob outside his window shouting vile, obscene words to cut him deep or vines crawling across his ceiling to cut him even deeper. 

So he’d said no, even if it meant he might have needed to give up one of his most sacred spaces in the world. 

And then Steve Harrington (with his perfect smile and whiskey eyes and warm touch) had stepped in and said, “why don’t you just have Hellfire at my house?” and that was that. 

Steve Harrington's house provided safety, a giant ass dining room table, from-scratch cookies and cakes that Steve insisted on baking each and every time they met. 

It also provided Steve, who was wonderful and sweet and kind and-

And.

And.

And whatever the reason (that Eddie was definitely not avoiding, not at all), it was enough for Eddie to wind up at the head of Steve's dining room table, leering at the small group from behind his screen.

It was snickerdoodle that day; Jeff's favorite. Eddie had already put back two and was happily considering a third. The rest of Hellfire looked like they were regretting eating any as Eddie hunched forward in the ridiculous oak dining chair. Dustin was green in the face, staring down at his miniature like he might as well have dug a tiny grave right then and there.

"You arrive at a door." Eddie steepled his fingers, resting his chin against the points. "Ancient symbols are carved throughout. Runes from another time, another place." 

"Shit," Gareth murmured. "God, not another fucking door."

"Your only other escape is through the tunnels where you came, but you can already hear the Orc armies clashing their way through. What do you do, oh mighty heroes?"

"We're fucked." Dustin threw up his hands, pressing the heels against his eyes. "Oh Jesus we're so fucked."

"We're not fucked!" Lucas said, even if his face said otherwise. "We need- shit, we need a strategy! Will-?"

"I'm barely hanging on!" Will stared down at his character sheet, scribbling notes down furiously. "We could do an observation check-"

Dustin groaned. "We don't have time for that!" 

"Well then what are we supposed to do, Genius," Erica snapped. "Sit here and die?"

The table erupted into an argument, insults and strategies twisting together through the fray, Eddie watching it all delighted. 

From the corner of his eye he could see Steve leaving the kitchen with a fresh plate of what looked like carrot sticks. He walked carefully and silently through, mostly ignored by the still bickering group as he began to collect the empty cookie plates and gather napkins, stepping from spot to spot to curiously look over shoulders. 

"Enjoying the peace and quiet, Harrington?"

Steve snorted, dropping the plate of carrots by Eddie's elbow. "Oh yeah. Getting in a quick meditation." 

Eddie laughed, glancing back down at his notes to hide the blush already crawling up his collar, scribbling out a quick direction on the paper.

And then-

“What the hell is that?”

-the table fell silent. 

There could have been a million reasons for those words to be said by any one of the Hellfire Club, and so Eddie wasn't much phased by the squawk from the other side of the table beyond the sea of miniatures and D20s. It was only when the other kids began to grumble that he looked up from behind his screen. 

What he found was a scene that didn’t fully belong at the table of dark cloth and menacing figurines and leather clad nerds who were all now staring at Mike Wheeler holding up his character sheet, staring at Steve who had been coming over to grab empty plates from the middle of the miniature battle. 

The character sheet, which was now adorned with a circle just bigger than a quarter. 

Eddie squinted. The circle was a bright, neon green with a star in the middle. And the star was wearing- Huh. He squinted again, and, yup. The star was wearing sunglasses. 

Steve turned back, empty stack of plates in one hand. “It’s a sticker.” 

“No shit, Steve,” said Mike. “What’s it doing here though.” 

Steve shrugged. “I thought your little dude was cool. So.” He reached into his pocket with his free hand and held up a roll of stickers. Eddie could see more sunglass wearing stars scattered in between a small galaxy of suns giving them the thumbs up and a moon with a backwards hat.

"We're not babies, Steve."

Steve rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to be a dick about it. Just say thank you.” 

“Whatever,” said Mike, which was as close to thanks as he ever got. “I’m throwing it away.”

“Do what you want,” said Steve. He rolled his eyes and looked down at Eddie. “So ungrateful,” he said, as if Eddie was meant to commiserate somehow with a freshman. 

Then again, Eddie was always happy to play along. “Oh yeah. Kid doesn’t know how good he’s got it. Crowning achievement, that prize.”

“You jealous, Munson?” 

Eddie snorted. “Sure, Harrignton. Whatever you want to tell yourself. Now stop distracting my sheepies. We’ve got stuff to- to…”

He trailed off when Steve leaned closer. His cologne was woodsy and dark and from the angle where he leaned, Eddie could see chest hair poking from the open neck of his polo shirt. He reached out and pressed his fingers against Eddie’s shoulder. His touch was firm and sure and Eddie wanted to sink against it. “Well,” he said, “I’d hate to be a distraction.” And then he leaned back like nothing had happened, getting the kids’ attention with a sharp whistle and a call for pizza orders. 

When Eddie looked down, there was a sticker on his shoulder. 

Eyes on the Prize said a festive looking potato. 

Eddie did his best to scoff, swallowing back the thrumming in his chest. 

.

.

.

Though if he put the stupid thing inside his binder afterwards. Well. That was no one else's business but his own. 

-

Want to read the rest of this fic? This is only a part of chapter 1! The rest of it (as well as the next three chapters) can be found on AO3!

If you want to watch Steve Harrington woo Eddie Munson with stickers, then this might be the right story for you.

Warning: (Slaps story) This baby can hold so many bad puns.

[crystalgastles]

Omg since we’re all asking questions abt Jeff Able I wanted to ask about his favorite animals. Ik he’s a cowboy so I just imagine him on an old man’s farm braiding horses mane’s all day because he loves them so much. I love animal symbolism in fiction sooo.

Also wanted to say that you’re super talented and honestly inspiring lol. I love your depictions of Jeff and Nina the killer and just your creepypasta au in general :3

I LOVE YOU PEOPLE IN MY PHONE thank you that means so very much

He has a lot of favorite animals, he loves animals mainly because their motives aren’t based off human emotions and just the will to survive, if they hurt you it’s not their fault

He has a soft spot for crows and ravens, will feed them if he comes across one. The bone on his hat is a raven skull that he found on the side of the road

Dogs, some dogs are big dumb and stupid. Others know what it’s like to have someone who was supposed to protect you harm you in the most cruel ways imaginable. He has had three dogs all in his lifetime

Cats. He relates to them in a lot of ways, how some will only pet you instead of letting you pet them. How some like to roam for weeks or months at a time but always come back. The way they leave their prey at your doorstep. Cat person through and through.

He likes to look at fish, specifically beta fish. The colors and the way they glitter are mesmerizing.

Gators. He is Floridan of course he loves alligators. They are territorial, brutal but only to survive.

Deer. His mother taught him a lot of symbolism when it comes to deer. Her culture was taught to him only in passing but he holds what he does know close to his heart. He’s thankful for the nights their bodies have fed him and kept him warm.

Rats. There isn’t much to why he likes them he just thinks they are cute.

Rabbits. He called his first partner bunny because of the way her nose twitched when he’d kiss the back of her hand. They remind him of her

Thank you for this ask I love that you love my depictions of these characters it means so much.

[bleghbleghladydeath]

THE TREE AU HAHAHAH

It is eating my mind from the inside out.

================================================

The Masked Man silently held a dead girl in his arms, about eight. He walked down a hall, overgrown by unnaturally large plants. He knelt under a fallen vine and stared at a huge, weird looking tree. He set the girl down. Then the tree moved. It turned to face him, the wood creaking and cracking. Huge horn like branches came from its head. Mushrooms, moss and vined engulfed its torso and arms. It's face it blank, except for the bark. The Masked Man stood there and watched as a large, bark hand reached out and dragged the girl closer before picking her up. It seemed to stare at the girl before pushing some vines on its stomach to the side and putting her into a large hole in its stomach. The Masked Man waited to see if The Tree will accept the girl and let him leave silently. Then a deafening ringing filled the room, and The Tree took the girl and threw her against a wall. The Masked Man didn't move an inch. The ringing got louder until The Tree's car window sized face got inches from The Masked Man's masked one. (XD that sentence idk how to write). The Masked Man turned and left the room, careful not to walk to fast, as not to make The Tree angry. Once The Masked Man was three halls away, he started running. He dashed down halls and stairs until he slammed into a chest. He stumbled back and looked at them. A flannel shirt. He looked higher up and Jeff glared at him. The Masked Man knows Jeff isn't angry, he just looks angry, if Jeff was angry, he would be on his ass already. Jeff smiled and The Masked Man froze. He waved awkwardly and Jeff chuckled. "Howdy big boy." Jeff chuckled.

The Masked Man fought the urge to smile even though Jeff can't see his face.

"Did the stick take that girl?" Jeff asked.

The Masked Man shook his head, the noose swaying. Jeff sighed. "Alrigh', le's go an' ge' another kid. Dam' stick." Jeff grumbled.

He walked off and The Masked Man shivered. He followed behind and soon caught up. Jeff went to his 'room' and grabbed his cowboy hat and his riding boots. He slipped the leather beauties on, and The Masked Man stared as he slicked back his hair and set the hat on, he fixed his jeans and shirt before standing up, smiling. The Masked Man smiled widely under his mask and Jeff walked over, his brown eyes piercing into The Masked Man's hidden ones. He took his face before kicking him in the leg and laughing when he held it, staring at Jeff angrily. Jeff walked off and The Masked Man let out a strangled sigh. He followed, messing with his noose. Jeff looked back before smiling. He grabbed the noose and jerked The Masked Man closer up. "Pick it up fat ass." Jeff growled.

The Masked Man stared, jerking his noose back. He silently thought about the day he hung himself. He was almost out when he felt the tree he hung himself move, he then realized his mistake. He let out another strangled sigh while Jeff pulled a cigar out his pocket from a can. He then lit it, and The Masked Man stared, he has faints memories of Tim, smoking a pack a day, he tilted his head, wondering why Tim never comes out anymore, he can't even hear him, sometimes a faint jumble of words but then there is that horrible ringing and no more Tim. He kinda misses him. He sped up a bit. Jeff has long ass legs. Jeff offered the cigar to The Masked Man, smiling softly. The Masked Man reached out and Jeff jerked it out his reach, laughing. The Masked Man growled, kicking Jeff in the back of the leg before stomping off. Jeff growled and stomped over, grabbing The Masked Man by his swaying noose and jerked him around violently. He slammed the cigar into his hand and dug down. The Masked Man jerked away but Jeff jerked him back over and slammed him into a wall, chest first. Jeff then got behind him, pinned his hands up and he flicked his lighter on before burning the word 'BITCH' in his arm. The Masked Man tried to jerk away but Jeff suddenly bit him in the shoulder making it hurt even more for him to fight. Jeff then let him go. "Next time I'm branding you like my dogs." Jeff growled.

The Masked Man shivered, those dogs scare him, Jeff has done horrifying things with them, he has eight of them and will hunt victims in the woods with them. They're not rabid, just hungry for human flesh, that's all Jeff's ever fed them, so it makes sense, but he brands every single one with a large smile, right on their stomach. Jeff then stomped off and The Masked Man frowned. Jeff went for his dog room and started to yell in there. The Masked Man winced when he heard a dog yelp and a thud. Suddenly the shaking and growling dogs got dragged out on chain leashes. One tried to bite Jeff so he tazed them in the side.

"We're going." Jeff growled.

The Masked Man stared and went to comfort one of the younger dogs, but he got snapped at. Jeff then pulled something out his satchel. He dropped it on the ground. Every week they get six kids, cut one of their fingers off and then dump them in the woods after wrapping their finger up. The Tree likes it when they have been in nature for a bit. He had chucked one of the kids fingers down. The dogs started to attack the finger, snapping at each other and barking. "Hunt!" Jeff growled.

Boom. They were running Jeff laughed manically and The Masked Man stared. He went after them and soon they were out in the woods, the dogs sniffing and growling. Drool made small puddles in spots where they sniffed. The Masked Man stared and then the dogs were all in an uproar, running faster somehow. Jeff cackled and let them go. There was a blood curdling, piercing scream as the dogs barked and snapped, attacking what looked to be a little boy. Jeff took a gun off his hip and shot in the air. The dogs got off the sobbing boy. Jeff got all the chains and gave them to The Masked Man. Jeff dropped down next to the boy, smiling.

"Hey, don't cry, it's okay." Jeff said, calmly, softly.

The Masked Man stared, there is something beautiful about how well Jeff can lie, how he can make anyone do as he says. The boy hugged Jeff. Jeff ran his fingers through the boys hair. He then set the gun next to the boys head. "Shh, don't cry." Jeff said.

He pushed the boy off but still held his tight. He tipped his hat and shot him, a big smile on his face. He picked the boy up and dropped a small chicken bone in front of the dogs. "There's your award you dumb mutts." Jeff growled.

The dogs fought violently for the small, fragile bone. The Masked Man stared, and Jeff started to walk back for the abandoned hospital. Soon the dogs where back in their room and Jeff went to offer the boy to The Tree. The Masked Man waited on the floor, messing with his noose. Soon Jeff came back. "Okay, he's accepted, come on, I'm tired as fuck." Jeff growled.

He jerked The Masked Man up by his noose. Jeff then dragged him to his room. He plopped onto his bed and The Masked Man sat down at the edge. Jeff took his hat and boots off before laying down. The Masked Man then started to massage him. He silently dug the hard of his palm into Jeff's muscular arms, staring. Jeff can't sleep without a massage, so The Masked Man gives it to him. Jeff growled, untensing. The Masked Man lifted up his mask halfway to show his pale face and blue lips. He kissed Jeff on the back of his neck and Jeff growled happily. The Masked Man started to carefully take Jeff's shirt off. He ever so softly unbuttoned each button before pulling it off and chucking it to the side. He dug his hands deep into Jeff's back. He then went to Jeff's jeans since he can't sleep in those. He grumbled softly as The Masked Man carefully covered his bottom half.

"Not like you haven't seen me in less...." Jeff growled sleepily.

The Masked Man ignored this sentence before going back to helping Jeff fall asleep. He soon went completely silent and The Masked Man stopped. He then sat at the bottom of Jeff's bed, legs crossed. Jeff mumbled something in his sleep peacefully. The Masked Man often wonders how Jeff sleeps so well. After everythings he's done it stuns and confuses him. He wasn't even in control, and he has nightmares about Tim killing Alex, that gagging and choking, it was horrible. The Masked Man shivered before going back to staring. Jeff will always be a disturbing mystery.

[joleneghoul]

Hey what are your thoughts on more recent appearances of Rip and the Time Masters in DC like in flashpoint beyond and Stargirl the lost children? My feelings are… complicated to say the least

Hiiii okay so I am a big Johns hater (not a secret i say this all the time LOL) SO i honestly did not like the writing or use of the time masters characters in those recent stories. I feel like it's extremely weird what they chose to do with Corky's character and im hoping its ignored/retconned as they move forward.

I also did not like the treatment of Jeff in the little snippits shown. For some reason (Johns writing) he wrote Corky to belittle Jeff's character and i noticed even in the artwork jeff was drawn standing away from Rip and Bonnie..ummm I did not like that.

One thing I will say I do think it was "okay" that we were shown Jeff taking Rips side vs Bonnie taking Corkys side on whos fault...whatever time shit was happening was...... but also.. Corky is a literal child again (where he was like..18 or at least 17 in TM 90s) and I dont think theres any canon ground to stand on of Jeff actually disliking corky either way (even Rip didnt dislike corky in the og 60s comics it was just a thing in the 90s to add to the story of Rip not trusting people and being a dickhead bc paranoia was taking over his whole life literally). I just think it was probably a dull way to show that Jeff knew Rip first, and Bonnie, of course was raising Corky. But theres probably better ways to show that.

I do think Bonnie standing against Rip or calling Rip out on shit while still being a Time Master is cool, wish Johns could write that interestingly outside of her throwing a few statements out like "of course its rips fault it always is" or whatever. But of course we didnt get that bc they were too busy doing whatever the fuck with Corky in stargirl.

Also, i hate that they're back in those ugly ass green and red onesies it makes me so MAD. Why does bonnie have a cowboy hat? Why is corkys hat an actual living raccoon??Why cant people save the day in t shirt and jeans. Sigh!

Glad they're back, though. Rip is so pointless to me when his history and team goes ignored as the existence of them adds so much to his character. Now we just need someone who can handle that to take the wheel. Someone who instead of treating the other Time Masters like bg characters will treat them like the main characters of that team because guess what? They are. Rip is not the only person who is important or interesting.

Sorry usually i would add panels or exact quotes but i dont wanna go look at those comics again 😔👍 also sorry if this does not make sense.

In the future, since Johns is leaving dc, i would like to see actual interactions with the Time Masters and Booster and such. Would be neat to see how they fit into the canon now together. I did like the little line in the christmas special where its shown when Booster sees Rip that he knows there must be some Time Master stuff going on. I just really need to see the other members of the team be able to do things too. I also want to see where Rips interactions with the Linear Men fall into this as well bc they have teased them a few times too (we saw old man rip in those umm generations comics a few yrs ago).

I ALSO wonder what this means for the canon of Booster being considered a "time master" because now thatd be like adding your dad to your friend groupchat like sorry guys hes gotta hang out with us.

[moviewarfare]

A Review of “One Piece (2023)”

One Piece is one of my favourite manga. I was genuinely flabbergasted when I heard that there was going to be a live-action adaptation of this. One Piece is a very weird and wacky world that I just don't believe could be brought accurately into live-action. Additionally, Netflix was going to make it and they have failed miserably with manga/anime live-action adaptations. Death Note completely butchered the characters and was not a faithful story. Cowboy Bebop had none of the charm of the anime with terrible writing and also not a faithful story. My expectations for this were at an all-time low but the creator of One Piece, Oda, was involved in this project. So maybe 3rd time is the charm?

The first thing I noticed from the first couple of episodes, was the stunning set designs and costumes. I was surprised at the amount of practical sets that felt like great replications of places in the source material. The iconic ship, The Going Merry, looks 1 to 1 exactly like it does in the manga and it looks beautiful! CGI is implemented to further bring the world to life but it is never overused or bad to look at. The characters look exactly like the source material from their clothes to their hair. They use practical make-up and prosthetics for non-human characters and they look great! The action scenes are also very well choreographed while having no shaky camera which is awesome! Nami, Zoro and Sanji have such terrific fight scenes. I was worried about how they would do Luffy's rubber powers in live action but it is done very well. The music score by Sonya and Giona is terrific. They created a score that really gives off the adventure and pirate feeling. They also do an awesome cover of the iconic opening "We Are" as well.

On that note, the casting of the Straw Hats is perfect. Inaki Godoy captures the optimism and silliness of Luffy without feeling cringy. Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Romero Gibson and Taz Skylar manage to bring the core personalities of their characters Nami, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji to live action respectfully. For example, Nami still has her flirty scenes to trick people and Sanji still has the flirty treatment with women albeit no longer bothering them which is an understandable change. The villains are also well cast with each of them pulling off the character in live action phenomenally. The great highlight is Jeff Ward as Buggy who somehow manages to be incredibly scary yet silly which is exactly who Buggy is.

One of the biggest reasons for the failure of previous adaptations by Netflix is the butchering of the story. I can thankfully say that this is not the case in One Piece (2023). The main core of each story is still here and the iconic moments are replicated here as well. It was awesome seeing the moments I loved in the anime being done here in the same manner. The adventurous and fun yet violent nature of One Piece is still retained here. There are changes to the story which is understandable because they need to put the story in an 8-hour series. For example, they removed side characters like Johnny, Yosaku and Jango or changed how fights are resolved and how arcs end. Nonetheless, these changes don't hurt the series and it is quite impressive that they managed to still tell the same story. The tone of the show is a bit more serious than the source material but this is also understandable. Manga and Anime are different types of media than a live-action TV show. Not everything can be brought to live-action without coming off as weird but the showrunners understood that and struck a good balance between serious and wacky fun without leaning too hard in either direction.

There are some bigger changes in the story such as introducing the character of Garp very early and having Arlong as the villain in Baratie arc instead of Kreig. I am kind of mixed on these changes as I do understand why but they also create some problems. The introduction of Garp who is chasing Luffy is done to create some tension and stakes for the characters that would be present for the whole series. It was also done to give perspective for the Marines in the form of Koby who has a bigger role in this series compared to the source material. Garp comes off as more scary than he normally is, to the point that he almost feels nothing like Garp should be at times. His character has weird tantrums that feel a bit odd as well. The subplot of the marines also ends up taking a lot of screen time from the main plot which leads to the main story feeling short at times. Arlong's early introduction was also done to hype him up as the big bad of the series. The problem is that the Baratie arc is meant to be focused on Sanji but he ends up feeling overshadowed in his arc by Zoro and Nami who are now more focused. Sanji's decision to leave and join Luffy isn't as well built up because of this change. The creators did very well with the 2 episode limit per arc but the Baratie arc suffered the most.

Overall, I honestly can't believe that the one I thought would be the most unadaptable, ended up being the best adaptation Netflix has done so far. They managed to accurately bring the world of One Piece to live action, which is quite an achievement. It seems Netflix has finally learnt from their mistakes and started respecting the source material. Them bringing in the creator to be more involved seems to have also paid off. I'm not sure how many seasons can be made for this considering how long-running this series is but I certainly want a season 2 if this is the quality of the show!

For more reviews like this visit: https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/

[danwhobrowses]

My Highlights of Wrestlemania 39

The time for sign pointing is over yet again

It's time for the stars to seal themselves in Hollywood. Thanks to family arrangements and travel I am doing this as both days at once, and unfortunately that means some results I was already spoiled on, but let's see how the show went on the positives side

Spoilers for the PPV Days 1 AND 2

So I am gonna split them in Day 1 and 2 just so it's easier to follow, but like we did for EC and Battle in the Valley's joint fixture we'll keep the conclusion across both events.

Day 1

The stage looked great

Cena using his entrance to bring some Make a Wish kids on stage

Hollywood crowd still pulling out the 'Lets Go Cena/Cena Sucks' chants XD

At the very least you have to respect the hustle of Titus O'Neil, he always gets to show up for Wrestlemania

Valhalla's attire looked menacing

Gable hit a Chaos Theory on Strowman!

It's nice to see Otis return to a similar amount of over-ness he had back when he was in that Mandy storyline

Richochet's Springboard Shooting Star Press

I...Don't think I can quantify Seth's attire, at first it looked like Drag Queen Jafar, then ended up being Scarlet Witch's secret lovechild with Jeff Jarrett. I guess the pink could be Bret Hart too

At the least Logan Paul didn't win

Becky, Lita and Trish's comic book entrance at least had some 90s comic book aesthetic to it. Trish out with the classic cloak and cowboy hat too

Lita had a much better showing than last time, mainly thanks to Iyo Sky's selling

Trish did really well too, much less ring rust on her

The Mysterios promo package was great

Dom with the prison-style entrance, and the Halloween Havoc Mask. You can see that he at least tried to grow out a tache to match Eddie's too

Rey though coming out to Eddie's music with the Low-Rider, no Hydraulics though

The black tones of Rey's attire better blends against the McDonalds colors too, but the mask does look odd but I get that it's meant to be Muta-coded

Rey giving Dom the belt XD

Dom throwing Aaliyah's drink at her for the heeeeaaat

That counter with Rey facesmashing the bottom turnbuckle was meaty!

LWO at least arrived to help after being formed

Rey won! I'm glad he did because he's been overdue a win, shame it required minor interference a la Bad Bunny (which I'm sure will lead to a Backlash match) and was sponsored by a cereal, but I think we were all certain that Dom would win. Make no mistake Dom has improved resoundingly, he will bounce back, but that's a testament to how well feuding with Rey has elevated him

The DDT counter to the Riptide was clean

At least Rhea won

Starting the main event with Jey vs Sami

Olé chants for Zayn

Zayn kicking out of the 1D

I will say it's funny how WWE purists will lose their shit over consecutive finisher kickouts, just...funny, ain't it? Almost like another company did it and got criticized for it by these same people...

Sami and Owens at least won, because they had to win, even if it is a consolation prize

Day 2

At least Brock/Omos went first because Brock likes going home early

They also at least let Liv get a pop by entering first in the showcase

Probably should've known that Endeavor was buying WWE with Brock and Ronda winning back to back after barely doing anything

Man we talk about GUNTHER's chops but Drew had some bass in his too

The staredown after Drew broke Sheamus' pin was great, I mean he should've expected it but the look of betrayal

It was a really good finish to the match as well

I wonder if the other Kabuki dancers are NXT women

Bianca's gear is good too, always gotta give it props since she makes it herself

I'm not a huge fan of the host setup but Miz and Snoop did bounce off of each other really well

Props to Snoop and Miz for adlibbing as well after Shane's injury

Doing the Brood AND Metalingus was a good decision

Edge and Finn had colour-coded weapons XD

The microphones embedded in the turnbuckle posts have been detrimental for most of the event (since that's when the wrestlers try to whisper to one another) but the sound they picked up from around the Cell did at least pay off there

I saw the gash of the aftermath and yeah jayzus Finn. Probably shouldn't have kept going but still you are one tough bastard

Pyros working for Rey this time in his entrance, and really nice that he personally congratulated each of the other class members, the hug with Stacy as well because WCW familiarity

Mania in Philly is a good choice still, gotta build a Rocky-esque storyline there

Negative 1 is a faction leader, an AEW wrestler and has been in Wrestlemania XD

Cesaro even got a mention (sure it was the list of people Roman beat but still)

And hey it only took about 15 minutes from Cody's entrance to them locking up

Paul texting for the Usos clear as day to motion their arrival was smartly positioned not front and center but in view to be noticed

Gotta talk about the absolute idiocy of Cody Rhodes for a moment too, because it's fucking hilarious how he spent all this time getting Sami and Owens to work together so that he could eliminate the Usos as interferences but had nothing reserved for a the ref bump, Heyman or Solo Sikoa - the guy who cost Drew the title in Clash at the Castle - and it bit him in the ass not once, not twice, not even three times, but FIVE TIMES. He literally just had to watch every Reigns title match from the last year (all 5 of them) to see all this coming

The fucking rubber duck too XD That just sums it all up doesn't it?

Conclusion

Well it could've been a lot worse, sometimes you just have to laugh. Night 1 was much better than Night 2, much better wrestling across more matches, the choices of winners weren't all bad across the board (even I had Cody not leaving as champ, but I was thinking he'd win by DQ like Dusty did) I think really it's just the odd choice of the Street Profits since that'd be face v face for the tag titles, but yeah it was alright, had its ups and downs, but since this is more about the positives we'll just leave it at that.

Match of the Night(s): IC match was close but I think I gotta give it to the Night 1 Main Event, just because it was more storyline-charged Best Attire: Seth, it was ridiculous and loud but dammit that's the point Best Entrance: Dominik Mysterio, the presentation and the silliness befitting to his character made it perfect Best Performance: Sami Zayn, Rhea was close but again Sami had to carry the wrestling goods and the greater storyline Best Spot: Snoop Dogg's People's Elbow Ricochet's springboard Shooting Star Press to the Outside of the Ring

[nightguide]

I HATE W8N: LETS SEGGSUALISE LTTRS THEN

U WANNA F*CK LEE PACE? HERE, I WILL HELP YOU

*puppet waddling off to show you a manhood*

p.440

MEMORY

word recall: baby, that *smiles*

logical memory: *you're not the one who is eating my cyanide: annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd it's a d8* he hates puns coming from a canadian warlord (im stewart francis now)

paired associates: BDSM. -ball gag- so who's the pig

haram. he thinks ur not safe to eat

REASONING

matrix reasoning: his bff got tangled up (in which he never does) cuz of his BDSM logic going through over his head now to his wife (he actually slept with her) now this is just MGG going str8 to heaven, he got his bestie in an intuiremix of his life (he KNOWS Harper)

shipley abstraction: ned thinks 'now. wherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre is the clit' logic is everywhere (nigga is blind that Emerson is white that's how Harper never found the black man hiding in the north (her childhood)

letter sets: his wips wobbl cuh he know a bitch wiku don kno his wif like wife (he jizzin inside of u) now for the PD porno

SPATIAL VISUALISATION

spatial relations: now he dissin u, like he got to a church makin u his altar an worshippn u right there (dick)

paper folding: ride him cowboiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii *heres the stetson (doctor who taught me that that is the correct name for a 'cowboy hat') for you to do later, wink wink from the actor*

from boards: *shows you that Joel McHale (diehard issaJeffBuckley fan irl IZZABEE)* 'is this the guy who's funeral be taking place rn, huh.'

SPEED

digital symbol: *he gives up* his eyes motion the dog to play his role for dick ('digby stay') making you beg his attention like a warlord he is

letter comparison: HOLY FVCK album by @ddlovato is now made famous by PD (HSJ's erotic nightmare to Jeff Buckley's life post-mortem) sentencing his voice on her body

*ned has a bar set that high that, that funeral (Lee Pace) knew Demi Lovato's Holy Fvck is abetting an arrival to her m/v Eat Me, so it is his dream as the Piemaker to direct the m/v on Harper's dreams realised on the show as herself growing up and looking at him intuitively now real time motion support (she came back to life), so you knew how the video goes*

pattern comparison: you made Lee Pace ejaculate to you in real time

[harryhoney-bee]

can you pleeeasseeee do something w the cowboy hat and belt buckle they gave him ‼️‼️

Save a horse, ride a cowboy

The cowboy hat stays on during sex 🕺

Warning: oral and vaginal sex.

Ps: I'm slightly high on pain medicine, so be nice <3

"What do you think?" Harry asked, twirling his body to give Y/n a full view of his outfit. He was wearing a cowboy hat that a fan had thrown on stage and a belt buckle with jeans (yeah, he had put on jeans just to try the bucket out).

The show had ended late last night and Harry went immediately to the tour bus’ room, taking his clothes off and sleeping only on his boxers, cuddling the sleepy girl waiting for him. When they woke up an arena representative asked if he could talk to Harry and gave him a beautiful belt buckle. It was unnecessary to say the singer was very happy, thanking the man and quickly calling Y/n to show her his new gift.

That's how Harry decided to give her a little show, he always enjoyed attention anyways, and the girl was very glad to help Harry and his narcissism.

"I think you look great! The fans did amazing giving you the hat, you look like a proper cowboy," she said, sitting on the edge of their bed, "a very hot one, I must say."

"Yeah, ya' think I'm hot? You don't look too bad yourself." Harry's smile turned into a smirk, " I love how this shirt shows all the hickeys I gave you some nights ago."

Y/n grabbed the buckle of his jeans, pushing him in her direction until she was faced with his naked chest, due to the high difference of having her sitting while he was standing on his feet.

"Possessive much?" Y/n teased, making eye contact with Harry, "I hope you know that I would also mark you up if it wasn't for them."

By them she meant the media and some crazy fans, they knew they should keep their relationship private and the consequences of their passion far away from Harry's body, or at least the parts that the public could see. Y/n normally didn't care about that, she was used to it as much as Harry was, it was just another part of their atypical relationship.

Harry on the other hand felt guilty, not wanting to feel like he was keeping her a secret. She wanted to give a smack on her head when Harry's lustful eyes turned remorseful.

"You know if it was up to me I would scream to the whole world you are my girlfriend, right?" He knelt in front of her, stroking her soft cheeks, "I don't mean to make you go through all of this, we just need to give the fans a bit more time to process those paparazzi photos."

2 months ago, when the couple had decided to go out on a walk on the beach they found three different paparazzi following them, minutes later Jeff called, saying they were trending on Twitter since 'Harry Styles had found a girlfriend', even though they didn't even hold hands, wanting to keep the walk as family-friendly as possible.

Needless to say, Harry and Y/n’s lives have changed since that. They hadn't been dating for too long when the pictures came out, they just didn't expect the media to be all over them, but it was understandable, considering that was the first picture taken of the couple ever.

So now Y/n was extremely private on social media, always taking care to not give anyone reason to start bad rumors about her because now that she was linked with Harry, all of her actions would reflect on his public figure.

"Harry, baby," she gently said, "I understand, we already had this talk multiple times, all that matters to me is that I have you, and that's more than enough, ok?"

He smiled, kissing her on the tip of her nose before putting his head on her naked thighs, "I don't deserve you, darling," he said, placing his lips on her skin, "but let me make up for it, alright?"

"Make up for it?" She asked, not quite getting his intentions.

The man just laughed, accommodating himself on the floor and opening her thighs. "Yeah, gonna give you a treat for being such an amazing girlfriend, but you need to be quiet, understand?"

Excitement filled the girl's body, swiftly nodding her head at the moment Harry lifted her shirt, leaving her bare in front of him, except for her underwear.

Harry looked at her body up and down, staring at her tits and finally her blue panties. He brought his tongue to her clothed center, sucking her clit through the satin fabric while Y/n gasped, holding to the duvet for dear life.

His fingers pushed the underwear to the side, getting a full view of her already wet pussy, he licked his lips, as if he was contemplating his favorite meal. Harry lap on her, playing with her bigger lips until he pushed in with his tongue, desperately fucking her, his hands grabbing the side of Y/n's thighs, trying to keep her in place.

Abruptly his tongue left her hole, being replaced by two of his fingers, which slid inside of her with ease. His cherry lips attached themselves to her button, swirling his tongue sloppily, trying to make her climax.

Her fingers were now holding into his cowboy hat, bringing him closer to her cunt as possible, his left hand was caressing her back calmly, doing the opposite of his mouth, which happened to be playing harshly with her clit.

In a few minutes she was cumming on his tongue, her body was shakily given the over-stimulating from having his fingers fucking themselves into her. Y/n tried not to moan, but the pleasure was too much, raspy sounds left her voice while Harry buried himself in her.

The girl left his hat, tapping the side of his head, making the man look at her, wetting dripping on his chin. "Did it feel good, sweetheart?" He asked arrogantly while getting up and laying by her side, bringing her head to his chest, and softly caressing her head.

A few moments went by until Y/n could finally find her voice again, "that was...wow."

"Yeah? Am I that good?" He asked, a cocky expression on his face, which quickly turned into confusion when Y/n hooked her legs around his hips, turning them around and getting on top of Harry.

Y/n threw the buckle belt on the side of the mattress and got rid of his jeans, "yeah, you're good, but I want more." She started rubbing herself on his bulge, trembling because of the amazing friction.

Harry held her love handles, dictating her rhythm while he tried to bite back his moans, "fuck, if I knew you were this horny I would have fucked you earlier this morning."

He groaned when she pulled out his boxers, her hands looking small compared to the size of his cock. She took the hat that had fallen when they laid down on the bed and placed it back in his head, "save a horse, ride a cowboy. That’s what they say." She whispered to his ear.

She stroked his cock until it was hard and licking pre-cum, without any warning, she lined up his pink head on her entrance, sinking into him. Harry rolled his eyes, bulking his hips, trying to get as deep as possible inside her cunt. Y/n slowly began to ride him, her nails leaving red marks on the side of his butterfly tattoo.

Cowgirl was one of her favorite positions because of how deep Harry’s dick could get inside her, hitting the outside of her cervix, making her trembled. Her clit was nicely rubbing against his pubic bone.

“Stretching you good, baby?” he asked in a raspy voice, holding her rib cage, “you look so pretty like that, ya have no idea.”

“Fuck, Harry”, she cried, holding into his shoulder for support, “feels so good, you fill me up so nice.”

Harry took the cowboy hat from his head and placed it on her’s smiling at her. “Can you go faster, sweetheart? Love you so much.”

The girl held into the hat and bent her body down, so her tits were right into Harry’s face, his teeth softly bit her nipples, sucking on the nub while Y/n ground her hips against him. Her ass was squeezed by Harry’s hand as he once again, gained control of her rhythm, making her roll her body more frenetically.

With a few more thrusts of her hips, she felt Harry released inside her with a moan, seconds after she followed him, drenching his body on her wetness. The man lazily pounded his hips, spilling all he had inside her, feeling her walls contracting around his cock, milking him dry.

Y/n fell into his body, still connected to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, listening to his breathing as her body calmed down. Her eyes were closed, feeling too tired suddenly, but Harry began talking to her, making her alert again.

“Wanna take a nap, baby?” he asked, taking the hat from her, placing it on the nightstand, and kissing her lips sweetly.

“Yeah, can you stay with me? Or do you have to practice with the band?” she was fighting her tiredness, for some reason she always felt the need to sleep after an intense orgasm, and well, she just had two.

“Course I can, I would never lose a nap session with my favorite cowgirl,” he charmingly said, kissing her forehead and wrapping their bodies on the soft duvet.

I have a ko-fi, please consider buying me coffee if you can/want to 😚

Tag list: @sunandherflores @elenagilbert01

@bellelittleoff , @cheshire-salvatore-mikaelson

[ffakc]

How Sweet It Is - a Jeffrey Dean Morgan fanfiction

Fluff, fluff, and more fluff! @iluvneganandjamie @happysgal @negans-attagirl

“Let’s see, Princess!” Jeff calls into our daughter’s room. Evelyn comes bouncing out in her outfit she picked out herself. “Oh my goodness, come here!” Jeff groans as he scoops her up. He plants a big kiss on her cheek.

“Daddy! Your beard tickles!” Evelyn giggles.

“You look just like your mama. You’re going to make your daddy cry!” Jeff sniffs and puts her down. “Absolutely beautiful, baby girl.”

“I cried enough last night for the both of us!” I laugh, pouring some coffee in each of our mugs. My daughter runs over and hugs my legs. “Didn’t I just give birth to you? How is my baby starting kindergarten?” I pet her hair. “How are you feeling, honey?”

“A little scared, but excited! I get to meet new people and use my new school supplies!” Evelyn replies. I thank the Lord every day she didn’t inherit my social anxiety.

“You got everything you need, Evie?” Jeff asks. He squeezes my waist and kisses me as I hand him his coffee. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” I kiss his cheek.

“I think so! Wait, I need my lunch bag!” Evelyn replies and runs to the fridge, “Thank you, Mom!” she runs over to her puppies, curled up in their beds by the door. “Bye Bandit, bye Honey!”

***

Evelyn jams out to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” in the back seat. I turn down the radio slightly.

“Repeat after me, okay?” Jeff glances in the rear view mirror. Evelyn nods.

“I am strong.”

“I am strong.”

“I am funny.”

“I am funny.” Jeff’s words were bringing tears to my eyes. I couldn’t have asked for a better father to my child. I rub his knee and he smiles lovingly at me.

“I am worthy of respect.”

“I am worthy of respect.”

“And most importantly, baby girl, don’t you forget it. I am going to kick kindergarten’s ass! Yay!”

“I’m going to kick kindergarten’s ass!” Evelyn shoots her arm up in the air and we all laugh.

“You’re going to have such a great day today, I just know it. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Dad,” Evelyn grins.

***

We walked into the school, the classroom was right inside the door. We were one of the first to arrive along with two other little boys and their parents.

“Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, it’s so nice to see you again! Hi Evelyn! Today’s going to be a fun day!” Ms. Hayes, her teacher, says and gives her a promising high five.

“Hi, Ms. Hayes!”

“Wonderful to see you too, Miss,” Jeff tips his cowboy hat.

“She’s been talking nonstop about you since ‘unpack your backpack’ night!” I say to Ms. Hayes, “You remind me so much of a teacher I had in sch-“

“Look! My name!” Evelyn skips over to her desk, dragging Jeff by the hand.

“It’s so nice seeing grandparents so involved in a child’s life,” a dad gestures at Jeff. My husband makes a face, holding back laughter. “You must be Mom?” the friendly, bearded man shakes my hand. “I’m Ethan, and that’s my son Asher over there.”

“It’s a pleasure meeting you, Ethan! I’m (Name) and that’s Evelyn. And this is my husband, Jeff,” I link my arm with Jeff’s.

“Husband? Oh gosh, I am SO sorry, Jeff! Me and my big mouth.”

“No worries, my man,” Jeff replies with a laugh. “I never planned on having kids this late in life, but hey. Stuff happens, you know?”

“Life’s sure crazy like that. Hey bud, I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you this afternoon, okay? I love you, kiddo!” Ethan hugs his son and turns back to us, “Hey, maybe we can arrange a play date sometime?”

“For sure!” Jeff replies. Evelyn was already organizing her desk and showing her new pal Asher her glittery pencils. We talk with Ms. Hayes for a few minutes til more people arrive.

“You think you’re going to be okay if we leave?” I ask our daughter.

“I think I will!” Evelyn smiles widely.

“I know you will. Come here,” I get down on my knees and wrap my arms around her. “Mommy loves you so much.” Tears well up in my eyes again. It’s been an insanely emotional day! Jeff strokes my back.

“You’ll see her soon, Mama,” he kisses both our heads. I kiss Evie’s cheek and rise to my feet. Jeff says his goodbyes and holds my hand as we walk out of the building.

“I love my little family,” Jeff says and kisses my hand.

“We love you too. The way Evie looks at you just melts my heart. You’re her hero, Jeff.”

“Aw, shucks, you’re too sweet. Want to go get breakfast or something? My stomach is eating itself alive.”

“Sounds good to me, I need to eat my feelings!” I tease. Jeff opens the car door for me and I pull him into a kiss. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life, you know that?”

“I’m so grateful for you, baby,” Jeff replies, placing his hat on my head. “You’re mine forever,” he kisses my wedding band.

***

I cranked up my 70s music as I rolled meatballs and placed them on a baking sheet. Evelyn requested Jeff’s mom’s spaghetti for dinner. Jeff was out in the pasture baling hay for the animals for winter.

“Here you go, kids,” I toss Bandit and Honey a piece of meat. The back door opens and my sweaty, shirtless husband enters.

“It’s hotter than balls out there!” Jeff tosses his cigarette out the door. I pour a cold glass of water and hand it to my husband with a kiss. He chugs it quickly and rinses his face in the sink. “How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor begins to play. Jeff smiles, “Want to dance, baby gal?” he extends hi hand. “How sweet it is to be loved by you,” my husband sings. He spins me around and pulls me close to his bare chest, rocking me in his arms. “They say ‘nobody’s perfect’, but you and Evie come pretty fucking close. You girls are my entire world. You’ve got me wrapped, you know that? I love you like crazy, Mama” I smile and rest my head in the crook of his neck as he grabs my hips. I savor the music as I plant kisses against his jawline.

“I love you more than words can explain, Daddy. You know, I’ve been thinking about something lately.”

“What’s that, darlin’?”

“I know we said ‘one and done’, but the way I see Evelyn play with younger kids? I want to give her a little brother or sister. My baby fever is insane lately. Seeing you as a dad is so sexy to me. You’re such a nurturing soul, Jeffrey.”

“Yeah? I kind of like the sound of that. She’s such a responsible little thing, I know she’d be a great helper. Plus, pregnancy looks real good on you, doll. You get mighty curvy,” Jeff smirks. “The doctor mentioned that whole ‘advanced paternal age’ thing, but I don’t care. I love being a dad. I would absolutely love to have another one.”

“Really? You mean it?” I ask as the song fades out.

“Of course! You know what the best part about having another baby is?”

“What’s that?” I look into Jeff’s hazel eyes.

“Trying for one,” Jeff smiles with a small chuckle, pressing me against the kitchen counter with a kiss.

[sconnie-doesnt-know]

Chapter 2

Characters - Reader, Ransom Drysdale, assorted OCs 

Word count - 3100

Warnings - Drinking, language, sexual content

A/N - Hope you enjoy the next installment of my Ransom series. Still setting things up in the chapter, but we’re moving along. For a while, there will be a good amount of heavy drinking and the questionable choices that go along with that, just FYI. Remember this is fiction and the acts are not recommended. They will also be acknowledged later if you are concerned. 

Feedback is wonderful, & if you notice any errors please let me know!

Dividers made by @firefly-graphics​

Chapter 1

You order drinks plus shots. 

“To another fucking week,” you salute with Whitney. It burns, and it’s sweet, and you just want it to act fast.

“Yeah, another one.” She grabs hers, salutes, and tosses it back back. She cringes for a few seconds, but once she recovers, she picks right up with half of a conversation you weren’t having. “So, are you gonna take someone home tonight?”

“You’re more worried about my sex life than your own.” You shake your head at her.

“After what that asshole did to you, you deserve all the good fucking. I’m just trying to find a good dick to help you forget.”

“Wow, that’s sweet in a weird way.” You shake your head again, but smile this time.

“Well, it’s true. I also don’t want to feel bad if I ditch you later for my own fuck buddy.” She wiggles her eyebrows like a cartoon villain. At least she’s giving you a warning this time and not just disappearing on you later.

“Jesus, Whit. Yeah okay.” You can’t help but laugh with her. “It’s just,” you survey the group around you, “You never really know what you’re gonna find at the end of the night.”

“Uhhh, yeah. That’s what having a one-night stand is...Oh hi.” She offers a dazzling smile to a cute guy pushing next to her at the bar.

You wait a few seconds for her attention to return before you mutter, “I am well aware.”

“So pick a partner and do-si-do. Come on, cowgirl,” she nudges you, nodding to the guy in the fraying straw hat next to you. Nothing seems to deter her.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” you giggle. 

She smiles and shrugs. A few minutes pass as she looks you over, studying you.

“You’re being weird about this.”

“I know.” You nibble on the straw in your glass for a moment before getting to where your mind’s been stuck for hours. “So hey, that guy we hung out with? Ransom?”

“No.” She shakes her head hard from side to side, a slightly manic giggle coming out between the repeated, “No, no. No.”

“What?” you try to sound casual, indifferent, but she knows you too well. “I just want to know what his deal is.”

“You don’t,” she insists, shaking her head.

“Why? Did you sleep with him?” 

“No, I haven’t.” She pauses for a moment, you can see she’s actually thinking over her answer. “He’s just gonna get what he wants from you and push you away.”

“You do realize that’s exactly what you’ve been telling me to do? So I should screw someone, but not him...because that’s what he does?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, are he and Michelle a thing? I don’t want any extra relationship drama.”

“Psshh, yeah, god knows you’ve had enough of that.” She stares off into the middle distance before shaking her head and focusing again. “No, they’re not together either, but please? Please? Just promise me you’re not interested in Ransom.”

“Okay, but why?”

“I don’t know, I guess I don’t really think you’re his type.” She lets the words hang, and you’re unsure how to interpret them until you finally settle on hurt. You physically recoil a bit when the sting of her words hits.

“Wow, ouch. What the hell does that mean?” You look down into your lap, looking yourself over really quickly and not finding anything major sticking out.

“I just don’t see it. Trust me, and tell me you’re not being serious with this.” 

Even with her strange and kind of harsh reaction, you can’t get rid of the swooping feeling you get in your stomach just thinking about him. So, you try to purse your lips to control the uncomfortable smile trying to break through. You want to assure your friend, but can’t lie to her either...at least not well. 

“I’m totally not,” you finally say with an awkward laugh behind it. Again, failing miserably to play off nonchalance. 

She sees it all and knows you’re full of shit. “No one will have any respect for you if you fuck around with him.” She says, matter-of-factly.

Where this is all coming from, you have no idea.

“You’re being mean and cryptic and I don’t like it. I’m not even saying that anything’s going to happen, but that sounds a little extreme, Whit. Come on,” you whine.

She rolls her eyes. “It’s not. Just find someone and ask him to buy you a drink. Look around, you can pick anyone, but I am not enabling you and Ransom,” she quickly adds.

You try to lighten the mood by teasing her about having standards, but can’t find much ground to stand on when she brings The Ex into the discussion. She’s really on a roll tonight and pulling no punches. It’s not what you wanted or needed from the night. You came out with a mission to have fun, so you take a deep breath and decide to be the bigger person.

“Hey Whit?”

She keeps her eyes on the bar in front of her, letting you know she’s still somewhat annoyed at you. “Yesss?”

“This week sucked. Let’s get trashed.” You sling your arms around her shoulders and shake her until she laughs with you. Her party-friend is back in action.

“Fuck. Yes.”

You struggle to go along with Whitney’s plan for your night, especially when the Cowboy and just about every other guy she pushes your way fail to keep your interest. Not that you’d never had a one-night stand, but just that lately they’d been pretty awful experiences and you wondered far too often lately what a life of celibacy would look like. It’s much easier to dismiss the guys and remember that at least your vibrator can get the job done.

Before last call you give in and you text Jeff. Yes, the Jeff with whiskey dick who left you high and dry last time as Whitney reminds you with a giggle. He sounds genuinely happy to hear from you again and promises to make up for last time which makes it seem worth it to give him another shot. He’s tall, fit, with long fingers and if you remember correctly, a decent enough dick.

He manages to stay hard this time around, and he takes his time feeling you up, but the two of you can’t find a rhythm that works. You finally bat his hand away and rub yourself off while he pumps sloppily into you. Afterward, he leans in for a kiss and you turn away to give him your cheek. Getting dressed, you give him a few non-committal answers when he asks about seeing you again, and at the end of it all, you’re most grateful that you didn’t take him to your place. 

You spread out alone in your own bed and think over Whitney’s words.

Whitney knows more than a few of your dirty secrets; the friendship between you two had blossomed quickly with your guard easily let down. She never really judged you, at least not openly, which left you swirling in doubt for days, obsessing over what would probably end up being nothing. 

What made you not his type - looks? Money? Another woman? She never really had a filter, but she was being so short on the topic of Ransom which made you think even harder, rooting through some more recent bad memories.

“Am I a bad person?” you ask Carrie during the week.

“What? No!”

You accept her answer with a nod, silently thinking.

“I wonder if I should just take a break.” When Carrie looks at you funny, you clarify, “Like, maybe I am finding these losers because I am not all that great myself? These guys are all just…”

“Babe, you’re meeting them at bars...with Whitney.”

You heave in a deep sigh, “I know. And she’s not that bad.” A humorless laugh escapes. “Maybe I am aiming too high or something?”

“There’s no such thing.” You see her shoulders shift, fire in her eyes and protective mode activated like she’s done a few times in staff meetings. “What happened?” she asks.

“Nothing. Just thinking.”

Whitney laughs when you tell her you’re thinking of taking a break.

“Was Jeff that bad? I thought you said he was good with his fingers.”

You look around, even if Whitney has forgotten she’s in public, you haven’t. No one else reacts though, thankfully.

“You’re such a bitch,” you sigh. She fakes offense which you ignore. “No, he wasn’t that bad, I just want to find a nice guy. I don’t know.”

Her already buzzed gaze moves somewhere over your shoulder, “Oh whoa, stop that thought. There’s a guy behind you that looks like he wants to bend you over right here. So,” she drags out, “How about we see how that goes and forget about Jeff, and nice for a while.”

She adjusts her own posture, subtly popping up her tits and tilting her chin down to offer him and enticing smile.

‘Jeff isn’t the problem,’ you think to yourself, but she’s already moving forward with her plan for your night. You toss back the shot she places in front of you and turn to check him out.

It’s not happening, even as tipsy as you currently are, this guy with the ironic mullet hovering next to you and trying to get handsy is not getting into your pants. You know it, Whitney knows it (even if she continues to flirt with his friend), hell - the people in the space station know it… but Mullet Guy is oblivious. It’s embarrassing. 

You sit there with your hands over half of your face, wishing he’d leave you alone, when you feel a tap on your shoulder. Turning, you see a familiar pretty face surrounded by blonde hair.

“Do you need some help?” Michelle asks, eyeing the guy next to you.

You’re surprised she even recognized you, let alone approached you, but you’re desperate to take the help where you can get it. “Oh my god, yes.” 

She gives you a knowing grin, “You’ll find some of us in the corner booth in the back.”

“You sure?” you ask, still thrown off by the interaction and nearly stumbling off the bar stool. “What about Whitney?” 

“I’ll get her,” She gives you a little nudge. 

You slip past the guy hopelessly hitting on you, mumbling and hoping he doesn’t follow and head down the aisle alongside the bar until you reach the large, corner booth. A few faces look familiar, but when he looks up you consider turning back. Judging by his smirk, there’s no chance of that happening.

You raise your voice to be heard over the noise of the bar, “Um, Michelle sent me over,” your nerves turning it into a question rather than a statement.

Ransom raises an eyebrow like he’s about to ask a question, but nudges the people next to him to make them get up and make room for you.

“Oh, no that’s...I’ll just sit on the end.” You try to politely wave them off, but they’re already up.

“Come on in, sweetheart,” he invites you, arm thrown over the back of the seat and your heart beats double-time with just how much you want it wrapped around you. The two people who vacated their spots shift impatiently and you clumsily sit down and start to scoot over under your knee bumps into his, making you immediately stop and apologize.

“You here all alone?” he asks, swirling his drink, the ring on his pinky finger flashing in the light.

“Nah,” Michelle reappears and speaks up for you as she sets down a few glasses onto the table, “Whitney’s here, but she’s got some company. This lucky lady,” she points to you and continues with a light laugh in her voice, “Was just looking miserable with some idiot not taking a hint.”

“You should’ve just told him to fuck off.” Ransom says.

You look over the crowd, finding Mullet Guy waiting for you back at your seat. His eyes droopy from the liquor and Whitney swaying with his companion. 

“I know, I just don’t like doing that. Plus, uh, I think Whitney is trying to fuck his friend.”

“So leave her. She’s a big girl and can handle herself.”

After that he continues the conversation he was having with the others before you arrived, and once again, you sit there silently watching. 

If you can call anyone the leader in the group, it is Ransom. Watching the way the other guys at the table defer to him and how he responds to what they say makes it obvious. He knows it too, practically sitting here holding court at the big square booth. 

The conversation isn’t all that interesting, at least not to you. Some kind of pissing contest the guys are having involving some sports stats. Every now and again you hear them say something so blatantly wrong, but you don’t know them well enough to correct them. With the underhanded comments and passive aggressive insults, you can’t help but wonder if any of them are actually friends. Eventually, your attention wanders over the rest of the bar patrons.

“Am I keeping you from something?” Ransom startles you with how close he is, body still but eyes roaming. You suck in a deep breath, smelling the alcohol and his cologne which makes your mouth water.

“N-no, sorry,” you struggle to come up with an excuse for zoning out, “Just looking for Whitney.”

He tips his head, “She’s right where you left her.” You follow his line of sight, finding her easily. 

“Oh. Yeah.” 

The way his face goes impassive unsettles you, like it was the wrong answer. “We’re boring you. That’s alright. Let’s talk about you.”

“Not much that you’d be interested in, I think.” Whitney’s assertion that you’re not his type replays in your head

“I don’t know about that. I have a lot of interests.” He stares at you with this look on his face, like he’s listening to something funny, but his eyes are serious. It’s intimidating when combined with the way he’s lounged so comfortably next to you, taking up the space like he owns it and yours. His tone, and the little tickle from his fingers against your shoulder feels like flirting, and now your inner voice begs you to remember how to fucking flirt. ‘For the love of god, shake off the nerves and flirt with this gorgeous creature.’ You take a deep breath and try to sink into it.

“What do you want to know?” You ask, setting your elbow on the table and propping your face on your palm while you turn even further toward him.

One side of his face lifts almost into a smile. He starts with a few basic questions, finding out you’re not from the city, how long you’ve been around. He ignores what you ask in return, continuing with his rapid-fire questioning.

“How do you know that little brat?” he asks with a tiny flick in the direction of the bar.

“Whitney?” you chuckle and he nods, “Friend of a friend; she practically became attached at my hip once we started going out together.”

“A quiet little mouse like you and her? Really?”

“I promise you, I’m not always so quiet,” you challenge.

“See, now that is interesting. Think I’d like to see that,” he answers, eyes giving you a quick up-down in your seat.

In the seconds it takes for you to process that he is indeed flirting and you need to respond, the moment is broken by a high-pitched voice.

“There you are! You fucking ditched me.” Whitney practically howls at you. You feel like a child who got caught out after curfew as you see her eyes move between you and Ransom. “What’s happening here?”

The alcohol has settled enough to remove some of your tension. With that and her overdramatic reaction, trying to control the urge to giggle at being caught is impossible, so you bite down on your lips to keep the grin from your face. “Nothing,” you answer, poorly faking innocence.

Ransom’s eyes stay on you, you can feel it, but he talks to your friend, “We were just getting to know each other better.” He turns to look at her, “Sit down with us,” his tone almost sounding like an order.

“Getting to know each other?” she asks you pointedly. 

You can’t understand what her problem is with him, especially since he’s her friend. At this point, you’re too intrigued. It’s not like there’s any point in trying to deny that you’re attracted to him with half your body leaning into him like he’s a magnet, but for some reason you think you see real disappointment in her eyes. Biting your lip, you take a peek at him to find him waiting for your response; he’s already smug with the attention.

“Yeah.” 

“What about your break?” she spits out.

You feel too many people looking at you, but you can’t answer, too shocked that she’s put you on the spot like this.

“Remember?” she asks like you’re forgetful, “You’re taking a break because you’re looking for a nice guy.” She over-enunciates as she stares daggers at Ransom.

“Why don’t you get the stick out of your ass, Whitney. I’ve been nice all night, haven’t I sweetheart?” The hostility between the two makes your back go rigid, anxious for the moment to end and the spotlight to be directed anywhere else.

“I’m fine,” you tell her as firmly as you can.

She shakes her head at you, but sits down anyway, jumping right into flirty conversation with Eric who is sitting at the end of the booth, notably there without the girl from the other weekend.

“Hmm,” Ransom hums right against your ear, making your skin tingle. “I think someone just got in trouble.” He’s clearly amused and not sounding remorseful at all.

He makes a move then. It’s slight, but you feel him tuck you a little further under his arm. Part of you is glad Whitney is distracted, but the other part wants her to notice it and realize she might be wrong.

“I…yeah,” you stumble over your words, confused and flustered between the two of them. Chest tight and pulling in short breaths and stomach swooping with excitement, you internally scream, begging for him to make it worth it.

[fekst-fucker]

Your faves with an s/o who does horseback riding and grew up on a ranch

Anybody else have a horse phase as a little kid?? Like not full on horse girl but like. Convinced you could raise a horse by yourself in your way too small backyard

Nurse Ann

- Ann is from New York, and even though upstate is more rural and has a few cabins or people who ride horses, she’s never been on a full ranch before

- She’s enamored with it. She loves the forest and the cabincore aesthetic, but this ranch thing is just as cute for her. If you have the full-blown southwestern style ranch, she loves the hanging peppers on the wall

- However, she’s also had one too many patients come in with horse-related injuries, so she’s a little weary of them

- It takes you a couple hours of coaxing to get her to come closer to the horses

- You lure her in by asking if she wants to feed one of your horses, then asking if she wants to help you wash them

- Your selling line on this is “I bet they’re calmer than some of your patients”

- She’s skeptical but really curious, so she does help you wash and brush them off

- She actually has a really good time, enough so that you can actually get her on horseback and give her a couple rides around the ranch

- Even though she had a really fun time, she prefers to be on the ground, and will mostly hang out at the ranch and help around the house when she visits

Jeff

- Where the fuck is that picture of Jeff dressed up as a cowboy

- Yeah, as soon as you bring him onto the ranch, he somehow owns a huge hat and a pair of boots. Where did he even get those. They’re actually tan and not black like the rest of his closet

- He tries to be silly and do a cowboy accent. You shut that down real fast

- But honestly, despite his weird cowboy obsession that you’ve never seen before, he’s really helpful around the ranch. He’s a naturally early riser, and usually he just goes back to bed until like noon, but on the ranch or a farm he loves to get out and start doing chores

- Which is... completely unexpected, but welcome

- He’s really excited to get to the horses, but he didn’t know how big they were. He’s a little scared at first

- That quickly goes away as you saddle up and help him onto a horse, he has a little trouble getting his steed going but once he does he’s a natural

- He’ll go on rides with you and really ask you for tips, he’s a great listener and you’re glad to have someone who actually listens to you

- You can’t keep him on the ranch at all times, but he begs you to visit all the time. Tbh it’s great to have him there, he shares your passions and is really helpful

Eyeless Jack

- He hates horses. Hates them

- His biggest beef with them is that their whole leg is essentially a really big finger. No living thing should be able to run on that

- You were able to coax him to get close to them, but he’s not going to ride one on any condition

- You kind of don’t want him to- horses are sturdy, but he’s BIG, and you’re worried that the horse might struggle a bit

- Plus, they’re reacting to him strangely anyways. He is dead, so some of them are really calm and act like he’s not even there, while others of them get freaked out by his presence

- So he likes to hang back and watch you ride, or just walk next to you if you take a slower, longer ride on a horseback trail

- He’s also from New York, and has never been all the way out to a real ranch

- He had family members that had farms, which was kinda similar, but nothing as sprawling as a real ranch out in the desert

- He actually loves it. He can see for miles, and there’s plenty of space to run around, which he needs to do every now or then to blow off steam

- If you have any big dogs or pets he LOVES to play with them. Still not the horses though. He’s scared he’ll hurt them

- If you have any livestock don’t let him near it. Chupacabra looking ass

- He feels very welcome out in the desert actually. It’s very cool and dark at night, and the folklore out there (goat suckers?? Walkers?? Coyotes howling??) fits him perfectly

[popculturebuffet]

Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Restrospective: The Raider of the Copper Hill! “You Got Rich Son”

Hello all you happy people! And welcome back to my retrospective of the Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck! It’s been far too long, almost three months since we last checked in with Scrooge and frankly I feel i’ve been spacing these entries out too much for this one and for the retrospectives that aren’t paid for in general. So expect at least one McDuck adventure a month till I finish, possibly two when I can swing it like this month. 

Now i’m done beating myself up, when we last left off a younger more naive, more optimistic and less experienced Scooge took up a career as a cowboy for  Cattle Baron, gained his first sidekick in the form of his Horse Hortense, and took out some cattle thieves with the help of Teddy Fucking Roosevelt. 

This chapter marks the end of the story’s first act. The first act is about a younger and far nicer Scrooge: still onrey and still a cheapskate, but still a good kid and far more outwardly friendly and welcoming, a far cry from the bitter untrusting man we come to know. This chapter is one of the reasons why, as Scrooge learns a hard lesson about wealth and success, the sacrifices one needs to make for family and about sticking your hand in a lightbulb while it’s plugged in. So join me under the cut as Scrooge meets another valuable mentor, one of his greatest enemies, and about 50 feet of barbed wire. 

We begin with the end of Scrooge’s time as a ranch hand and cowpunch. With homesteaders moving in and dividing up the land, Murdo simply dosen’t have the space for cattle baroning anymore and has to let Scrooge go and head back to texas. We do get a great bit of Scrooge wrapped in barbed wire, having gone to cut some down so Murdo could move the herd out. 

So with his Job done and parting on good terms with his old boss, Scrooge sets up his own homestead on some land near the Anaconda Silver Mine, trying to make it as a prospector, starting on the path that would eventually lead him to riches.. in about a decade and a half.

 So Scrooge bemoans his rotten luck over Dinner with a stranger, Marcus Daly owner of said mine... who just.. randomly sat down to have dinner with a 17 year old. 

Marcus belays his own woes: While Scrooge has failed at what he tried to do, having gotten into both steamboating and cattle punching too late to go anywhere with either, Daly has a silver mine that’s full of copper: decent amoutns of it but still not what his investors wanted. 

Both however find their fortunes reverse in an instant in the weirdest way possible. The light goes out at their table and Scrooge tries to adjust it only to electcute himself. To his shock...

He finds out it’s running on electricty, which is starting to become widespread.. and requires vast amounts of copper wiring. Scrooge is back in the game but finds trouble getting equipment as the local seller naturally is a jackass who jacks up the price. Scrooge instead sells the gold teeth his dad gave him to the nearest gentleman after talking him into it. . And i’ts not even the weirdest transaction i’ve seen this week. 

For the record those weird things are the guy on the left’s skinflakes, his power is to make naked golems of himself out of his dandruff and skin flakes and what have you, while the guy on the right is paying for a mutant with a star for a head. So yeah a scottish cowboy selling his ancestor’s dentures to pay for mining gear is refelshingly tame after all of this. 

So we get the comic equivleant of a montage as Scrooge starts his work at prospecting, making a portable homesteader shack as a miner owns any land he lives on, and moving around to try and find it, but he runs into a problem: with his last two careers he had mentors to help him learn what to do: Pothole taught him riverboating and Murdo helped him learn to ride the trails. Here he has no one and while you can self teach a lot of things prospecting isn’t one of them. 

He end sup finding one though as a rich gentleman asking about the mine happens to wander by: Howard D. Rockerduck. If that names sounds familiar it should as he’s indeed the father of exactly who your thinking of and we meet a young 10 or so year old john who asks him to stop dealing with a grubby workman. We also find out whose responsible for him turning out ot be such a piece of work as his mother’s response to his father telling him “I used to be a grubby workman is well... word’s cant’ do this amount of classist bulslhit justice. 

Seriously his unnamed wife is so odious it hurts. And how the fuck did an honest, kind man like Howard end up with this bitch? It’ sbaffled me every time i’ve read this: did he marry for money? is he a gold digger? go down gold dig get down? Is she just THAT good in bed? Did he just make a horrible mistake one night? Did she lie to him about who she was? Was she replaced by a skrull? I have questions no duck comic has properly explained.. and if they have please tell me.  Also it does tickle me we’re getting a bit with a duck named howard though sadly he wears a top hat instead of a nice little bowler. And if you don’t know who howard the duck is.. shame on you. And if you’ve seen the movie.. my deepest sympathies. 

While Howard laments wanting to horsewhip his son, this was a century ago with change mind you standards were different and also John sucks. Howard crticizes Scrooge’s techqniue after introducing himself, and Scrooge and him get into a bit of a tizzy, with Howard offering to teach him for two cents.. but the hostility quickly desolves hours later as Scrooge realizes Howard was right and he’d been doing things completely wrong and the thrill of hard honest work again has washed away any ego driven competiviness. 

I”ll get more into Howard in a second but he does eventually strike copper, and while the vein is full it’s also thin. But Howard has one final trick and takes Scroogey for an ore test. I tried to find more on this but just found a lot of ways to do it yourself and what not. I”m now really intrigued how they did this and found the content of minerals. I know it’s a dull subject but i’m curious how they did it with the technology of the time. Did they just use acids like I found? If so how’d they get them? I do say this is one of the great qualities of Rosa’s works: he makes you want to learn more about history. I looked up more about TR after the last chapter and now I want to know how the hell metallurgy worked in the late 1800′s. 

We then get an intresting interacton as Scrooge.. warmly greets the townsfolk and vice versa.. yes the same Scrooge who as an adult would be introduced proclaming...

Is warm, optimistic and wholeheartedly belieives...

As you can probably tell by Howard’s reaction and what Scrooge becomes.. this story’s all about shattering that notion and is the first of two to shatter the poor kid’s trust in people and make him into the bitter old sod we know. 

The sample comes back 55% positive... which leaves Howard rushing to get Scrooge to a court house. As it turns out there’s an old, very real for the time, mining law called the Law of Apex: whoever owns the land closest to where an ore vein is on the surface owns the whole thing... so legally Scrogoe owns the ENTIRE ANACONDA COPPER MINE, which at this point as detailed in the time skip has gone from struggling to utterly thriving and sucessful. Whoever owns the land at the time the Judge rules it gets the mine.. and Scrooge’s friends, who seconds ago were concerned about him being dragged into court.. are now all scrambling to take his fortune, something Howard dosen’t seem at all suprised about. 

But while this may be a kinder, more naive Scrooge McDuck, it’s still SCROOGE MCDUCK. His response is to cut a nearbye power wire and swing it tarzan style over to hortense and ride her back ahead of the mob... with the electric wire slapping her rear and causing her to go extra fast.. and also quit. So Scrooge stands alone but manages to take out some of the ruffians with his shack while John and the Judge rush to the site. As for Scrooge well... you want to see what a McDuck family beserker rage against an ENTIRE angry mob of opportunistic assholes look like? 

And this isn’t even the most badass thing Scrooge will do this series. Or even in the next few issues. That’s how awesome this series is: fighting an angry mob SOLO with simply his pure rage and whatever he can grab and throw. And he WINS. He’s exausted and passes out, falling out of the sky on his final opponent.. but he took out what was at the LEAST 50 men, and ONLY passed out because one of them threw dynamite in his out house.. and even THAT didn’t kill him or put him out, simply casuing him to land on said dynamite throwing idiot and wins. 

We find out Rockerduck actually was one of the mine’s owners but helped Scrooge anyway: he has more than enough money and all it’s going to do in the end is go to a greedy brat. Marcus Daly shows up and while he’ll get the law overturned eventually, he still has to shut down while that happens and finds the right officials to bribe. And this is the 1800s... you gotta go by train to do your bribes. You can’t just do that shit over email and hidden bank accounts. Daly offers him 10,000.. but given what Scrooge could earn even before he got his mine back, Scrooge turns it down. 

However this victory is bittersweet as Scrooge warmly greets his friends.. only for one to cuss him out and the other to tell him to get loss. We then get one of my faviorite exchanges in this story.

This whole Panel is a masterwork. The sheer INNOCENCE on Scrooge’s face, almost looking like Donald, desperately wondering what he did, when as Howard points out.. he did nothing wrong. He simply got successful and they resent him for it. 

This has been a hard paragraph for me to write as I want to tread carefully. People do have good reasons to scorn the rich or celebrtiies sometimes. Some rich people or those in the media are genuinely terrible. Jeff Bezos, Tucker Carlson, Mel Gibson, Louie CK, Joss Whedon and even someone as low on the totem pole as Doug Walker is odious. And of course we all can think of one odious example of rich bastard i’d rather not think of, especially when thinking of John D Rockerduck and what he’l lbecome as an adult that i’m not giving a pleasure of the name drop but came to mind. 

But even for good people becoming succesful puts up a barrier between you and other people: Fans of yours will admire you or write fanfic or what have about you without even knowing you, i’ve been on that side, and some people will hate you just because without valid reason, especially in this day and age. Success breeds resentment and even people you trusted and loved can sometimes turn on you. It’s the double eged sword of achieving your dreams: You get what you wanted but you often loose what you had. 

And it was no diffrent two centuries ago, with Scrooge’s friends only being friendly as long as it suited them, turning on him first to steal his chance at glory and then to scorn him for daring to achieve it. Some people.. are only there for you as long as your not above them. And sometimes you can be happy. Look at Tom Hanks, who has a lovely family and a long and storied career. Or Linkara, a youtuber who has been at this for over a decade, has tons of fans, a loving wife with her own succesful channel, and just recently got contacted by his childhood heroes. You CAN be happy and successful.. it’s just very hard to make it that far. 

One of the central points of life and times is that’s often not the case: You can get what you want but it comes at a cost. And it’s how you pay that price that will determine how happy you are. Another central point intertwined with it is it’s not the journey but the destination, and i’ts how Scrooge takes that journey that ultimately leads him where he ends up good and bad. And we get an all to telling all too foreboding hint in how he takes everyone he knew for at least a year turning on him overnight. 

When faced with his first real loss on this Journey that wasn’t material.. he dosen’t care. He has his money and riches and that’s enough. And as we’ll see that attitude will cost him greatly. Howard is irate for a moment, hoping he wasn’t wrong in trusting Scrooge.. and indeed, for now, turns out to have placed his faith in the right person as Scrooge gets a telegram: his family needs him. And while he could stay, turn his back on them, and earn MILLIONS.. he tells Howard  to tell the owner he’s taking the deal. For now when given the choice between his family and his fortune, SCrooge will choose them. Sadly.. that won’t hold true forever. 

With this being the end of his time in the story, as he has a still insufferable John buy him a horsewhip for horrific but darkly funny reasons, as John brags about how rich his father is not realizing he’s buying his own whupping tool, i’d like to touch on Howard D Rockerduck and how amazing he is. Rosa managed to pack a throughly interesting, throughly engaging character into only 8 pages. While Rockerduck DID show up earlier in of ducks dimes and destinys, he wasn’t really fleshed out or named and only showed up for one page so still 9 pages total. 

But in those we see a kind and noble man whose easily what Scrooge COULD have been, kind, noble, generous, hardworking and willing to give up money to help people. He’s a good man.. but even he’s seen the sacrifice Money brings. He’s clearly lost friends, lost a sense of peace, and married the wrong Woman, whose poisoned his children into a spoiled brat who will only grown into an even more spoield adult in both continuities.. if raised quite a bit earlier in the 2017 cartoon as he was made scrooge’s contemporary there rather than a child, but semeantics. Point is Howard hismelf isn’t wholly satisfied with his success.. and that’s what he and Scrooge will forever have in common, with Scrooge, likely as a result of meeting the Rockerducks, fearing an indadiquate inheritor and someone squandering what he worked hard for. Though his reasons for not taking up a wife as we’ll see eventually, if outside the main 12 part story but I intend to cover the subchapters in their own time, aren’t entirely motivated by avoiding goldigging but a broken hard and his own stubborness. 

For now though we bid Howard and america adue. Scrooge however for once ends an occupation with less bitterness. Unlike his last two ventures where he made it out with only enough to get to the next one here he made it out ahead: he now has a decent suit, likely bought for him by Howard given he hasn’t cashed the check yet, I know this as it’s a major plot point for next time, 10,000 dollars.. and experince. He may of not gotten all the money he was due on this venture, but he learned more valuable skills and he feels with a land like america, the next opportunity to earn some dough is just waiting for him to get back. And as the chapter ends he muses that maybe the country could use a symbol of this countries boundless opportunity...

Final Thoughts for the Raider of the Copper Hill:

This chapter is one of my favorites. It’s nicely paced, something Rosa himself admits was often a struggle as he had to cover years at a time, has a wonderful new mentor for Scrooge, and sets up a lot of the tragedy to come in the last act beautifully. It’s a nice closer for our first act, showing Scrooge has come out of his first trip to america wiser, more experinced and more hopeful, but at heart still the same kind and noble kid he left Glasgow as. The next act is about the change of that boy into a man, how he will finally find his fortune after some more adventures.. and how the last viestges of his kindess and optimisim towards others die at the hands of a certain fake scotish gentleman. 

Next Life And Times: As is tradition for this series act openers, Scrooge returns home.. and just in time to get his castle back, fight a duel and go to heaven and back. So an average McDuck tuesday then. 

If you liked this review follow for more. And if you liked it a lot join my patreon so I can keep making these and hit my stretch goals. Even at just the 2 dollar level you get access to my discord and your pick of shorts whenever I do a series of them and with Goofy and Donald’s birthdays being the next ones to be celebrated you can’t pick a better time. patreon.com/popculturebuffet See you at the next rainbow. 

[fleckcmscott]

Bewitching Hour

Summary: October has been a blissfully busy month. With Halloween around the corner, Arthur and Y/N have some planning to do.

Warnings: Swearing

Words: 4,665

A/N: Special thanks to @hhandley80​ for this request! You've been so supportive and sweet. I truly appreciate you and hope you enjoy it!

On a side note, my oneshots will be more sporadic. I'm still writing but life has been life. Also, I've finished the first draft of another multi-chapter featuring Arthur and Y/N. It's going to take time to rewrite the subsequent drafts and edit, edit, edit. The chapters will go up once the story is ready. Thanks for your patience and support! 🙂 I heart you all!

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask! 

Arthur's suggestion that they make plans to celebrate Halloween should not have been a surprise. He loved starting traditions with Y/N, and she prized adopting them with him. "It's been awhile," he'd said as they'd walked arm-in-arm to the laundromat. "I think it'd be nice."

Holidays had been a source of merriment most of her life. The beauty of red and green decorations at Christmas. Turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. An egg hunt and chocolate rabbit at Easter. The togetherness of family during them all.

Halloween, though, wasn't a favorite.

As a child, she'd had fun trick-or-treating, riding her bike from house to far-flung house. And she hadn't minded escorting her little sister as a teenager. Y/N's homemade witch costume had been passed down. She could still recall the sleekness of the ribbon between her fingers as she'd secured the pointed hat under Mabel's chin.

But the magic had fallen away. When married to Jeff, she'd had to attend his boss's annual party. After receiving an apologetic shrug and kiss, she'd be relegated to hanging out with the other wives. They'd included her in their recipe swaps, in their exchanges of mild gossip. Her natural friendliness made chit-chat easy, far easier than having a good time. Those evenings had been spent nursing a glass of wine and willing the clock to go faster.

During the period she'd cared for her father, she'd tried to hand out candy. She liked being a good neighbor and imparting kindness in the form of bite-sized sweets. As his health had declined, the porch light had gone dark. Random rings of the doorbell would result in shouting and swearing. Repeated attempts to explain the door's lock wasn't broken. Festivity would transform into drudgery. It hadn't been worth the trouble. Instead, she'd watched terrible TV specials while her thoughts wandered to a future far from Boonville. A future she'd doubted would ever be.

"I don't know if it's your thing," Arthur had continued, bringing her back to the present. "But you might enjoy it with me." The response he longed for was evident in the worrying of his pocket, outlines of his knuckles visible through the tan cloth.

Everything they'd experienced together had soothed the sting of those wasted years. The hesitancy lurking in her was silly. Unwelcome. Less than either of them deserved. She'd met his keen eyes and half-smile. The sudden mental image of him dressed as a cowboy or pirate, eyepatch and all, prompted a laugh. Convinced her as she dug out her dry-cleaning stub. "It isn't my thing," she'd said. "But you are."

Relief had relaxed his wrinkles, save for his crows feet, which had deepened as he'd returned her happy expression. A slender arm wrapped around her waist, drew her against his solid frame. Once the clerk disappeared through the swinging doors to retrieve their clothes, Arthur grasped her chin and kissed her. The tender explorations were soon sloppy, and she'd giggled, his enthusiasm becoming her own. Their noses had met, his lashes resting on his wide cheekbones. "I think you're the sweetest treat, Mrs. Fleck."

Currently, Donahue's Department Store, Gotham's number one retail emporium (if the ads were to be believed), was bustling with last-minute shoppers. Weary mothers escorted their babbling children through the aisles. Clerks swapped out displays for the changing blue light specials. Lines went for yards. Patricia and Y/N sought refuge at a corner table in the café on the top floor. The warm glow from the pendant lamps provided a relaxed ambience, one that matched the hot cider and pumpkin spice cake they were savoring.

"I've got my grandson on Sunday," Patricia said between bites. "My daughter's going to a party with a medical records tech from Gotham General. Met him when she missed the bus. They split a cab and hit it off." Chuckling, she lifted her mug. "Speaking of, how's married life been so far?"

Memories of the past week quickened Y/N's heart, until she thought it might stop. How Arthur had gripped her replacement Social Security card, just to read her new name. The way he'd grab her for a twirl whenever they were in the kitchen. The reverence in his gaze when they'd lay together after sex, a look that both thrilled and made her blush. "The bills for his medication and appointments will no longer make us cringe," she deadpanned. She lowered her fork. "When we met, I was kind of blindsided - I'm not the type to fall in love quickly." The corners of her lips tugged up. "Being married to Arthur feels like a habit. A habit I should have learned twenty years ago."

"I'm glad you found each other." Patricia reached across the light brown table and covered Y/N's hand, gave it a squeeze. Then she wiped frosting from her mouth and nodded in the direction of the escalator. "Now let's find a costume that'll drive him nuts."

Beyond the colorful cosmetics and pungent perfume counters, they sorted through racks of vinyl smocks and plastic masks. Pop culture icons and princesses. Vampires and spooks. Knockoffs of classic movie monsters. Most were poorly made and decidedly uninteresting. Y/N pawed through accessories in a nearby basket, a cigar here, a patched hat there. "How about a hobo? I could steal Arthur's tie."

"This was his idea. Give him something a little exciting." After a roll of Y/N's eyes, Patricia held out a plastic display bag. "Found it."

The white font on its blue label declared she should "Create a unique look!" A woman in a leopard-print leotard and bow-tie wore black cat ears and a tail, the only two items included in the set. Y/N's nose wrinkled. "I don't think so, Patricia." She rummaged through another bin and examined a hockey mask. "I don't show a lot of skin."

"You show Arthur." Patricia ignored Y/N's glare, continuing to shove it at her. "Every man loves a woman dressed as a cat. Our next lunch is on me if I'm wrong."

Patricia could be relentless, but Y/N had to admit she was usually right. She arched a brow as she eyed the costume. Maybe she could find a solid body suit instead of animal print. The kit was only $2.98. And her friend had made it a challenge. "You're on. But I'm not wearing a bow-tie." She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her mouth. "Your turn. Would Robert like you as a French maid or a go-go dancer?"

~~~~~

It was a busy season for performers. Arthur remembered HaHa's talent agency being booked solid for October by the end of August. Myriad functions at nursing homes, parties, and children's organizations took place throughout the city. Amusement Mile had a series of special events, allowing Arthur to work extra hours before the slowness of winter dragged in. Once the holiday was over, he'd buy make-up and props on clearance.

He'd always assumed he would like Halloween - if he'd had the chance to celebrate it properly. It was about connection, something he'd never managed. The customs gave him a pretense, a template to meet people, rather than leaving him wondering how to go about it. Provided a hiding place for his seeming inability to act normal.

Recollections of the day were few but vivid. When he'd been around eight, there'd been a party at school. The teacher had made brownies and given the students a half-hour respite from lessons. (A welcome relief, since he wasn't very good at most of them.) But he hadn't had a costume. Hadn't known how to reply when the other kids asked where it was. Not wanting to be left out, he'd pocketed a watercolor pallet and sneaked to the bathroom.

The teacher (he wished he could remember her name) had walked in as he'd smeared green and blue on his face, a pathetic attempt at a turtle. Fear of punishment had caused his laughter. But her kindness as she knelt, wiped away tears and pigment with a scratchy, brown paper towel, had calmed him. "Wait here," she'd instructed. It had taken all his courage not to run home.

After some minutes, she'd returned, an old white sheet in one hand, black marker and pair of scissors in the other. "The nurse won't miss this." She'd traced eyeholes, helped him cut them out. She'd asked questions. About his mother and what it was like at home. Questions he was at a loss for how to answer. Finally, she'd draped the cloth over his head. "There," she'd declared. "Gotham Elementary has its own ghost."

Even as he'd gotten taller and the sheet no longer went beyond his knees, that costume had remained his go-to. He'd venture out to the rest of his building, knocking on paint-chipped doors and pushing broken buzzers. Having learned to stay away from doors that yelling or funny smells emanated from, he hadn't gotten a lot of candy. What he had collected he'd shared with Penny. The wax lips became a free toy. He wasn't sure his memory of startling his mother and being tickled until he couldn't breathe was real or imagined.

At twelve, he was told he was too old to go trick-or-treating. He'd starting scrounging for change to buy hard candies at Helm's Pharmacy. They weren't particularly appetizing, but they'd been what he could afford. Only a few kids rang, a number that dwindled further every year. Most neighbors kept their distance, likely aware he was troubled. Cinnamon discs and butterscotch drops had loitered around the apartment for months. He'd sucked on them in an attempt to cut down on his smoking, just to save money. It hadn't worked.

Y/N hadn't spoken about the holiday, not the way she had other special occasions. At first, he'd thought it had slipped her mind. Work, planning their honeymoon, completing the red tape required to meld all aspects of their lives had taken up much of their time. But, given her reluctance to talk in detail about her past heartache, he'd come to assume her Halloweens had been unpleasant. He was certain he could change that.

Sitting on the dingy, dark green plastic seat of the train car, he giggled to himself, chest puffing up as he straightened. They'd been man and wife for eight whole days. Movies and songs said love was supposed to be somewhere between serendipitous and fated. A happy accident that was meant to be. Lying awake at night, he would find himself wondering where they were on that scale. If the emotions swirling through him - the excitement of belonging, the fear of fucking up - were what every newlywed felt. Then Y/N would snuggle closer in her sleep, murmur nonsense into his skin, and for a few minutes he'd be at peace.

Years had been spent trying to figure out who he was. Trying to find an identity, his role within the world. While he was still searching, it had been far easier to become accustomed to the role of "husband" than he'd dreamed.

Teaching his wife about events across the city had been a delight. Gotham Village's Annual Costume Extravaganza was a parade that went all the way to Gotham Square. He'd participated a couple of times, never formally registering but slipping into the clown section. It had been exhilarating. Had allowed him to pretend, for a little while, that he was being seen. That the crowds lining the sidewalks were cheering for him. Signs for extravagant balls were plastered on billboards and lampposts throughout the streets; he'd have gladly attended and shown her off. A haunted house was being held in a building in his old neighborhood, a fundraiser for the orphanage. He hadn't brought that up.

In the end, once he'd explained trick-or-treaters went from apartment to apartment, they'd decided on a cozy evening at home. The details had been left to her. Whatever she'd plan, he'd love it. He wondered what she'd disguise herself as. Would she be a sexy devil or nurse, like he'd seen on a sit-com? The notion sparked a fire in his cheeks.

Given how busy he'd be, he'd stay dressed as plain, old Carnival. Part of him regretted accepting two gigs, especially on a Sunday. He would have preferred her company. But he wanted to put the money towards the wedding band he'd put on layaway. (Even though they had one account, he wasn't going to let her chip in for it.) He should already be wearing it for all of Gotham to see.

The lurch of the subway prompted him to rise and grasp the pole grip. His stance widened as it came to a halt, knees bending with the instinct of a man who'd ridden public transportation since he was a boy. As soon as the graffiti-covered doors parted, he stepped out onto the platform and ascended the stairs, eager to share his new insurance information with Dr. Ludlow.

~~~~~

Scratchy violins and the hum of a theremin. Shrill shrieks and cracks of thunder. A cackle resounded, then a pipe organ, playing a melody in a minor key.

There was no doubt about it. Halloween spirit had saturated 4A.

NCB's Movie Marathon Mayhem had begun at 10:00 AM. Y/N had had it on since getting out of the shower, hoping to catch a horror classic while she decorated the apartment and prepared Bloody Mary mix. As she hung cotton batting between the television's rabbit ears, creating a long, narrow spider-web, she realized they were only playing cheesy B-movies. Giant insects threatening buildings. Science experiments gone wrong. Alien invasions. Oh well. At least she wouldn't have to pay much attention to get the gist of the plots.

The orange plastic platter, black bats along its edges, had been an impulse buy. She thought its array of sugary skeletons, candy bracelets, and Jolly Jack chocolate bars would be well received. But having seen only one or two kids in the lobby, she had no idea how many children lived in their building. She hoped she'd bought enough.

The cardstock window decorations she'd found were festive and matched Arthur's sweet nature. One portrayed a warted, green witch flying on a broom past a full moon. On the other, a ghost and mouse shared a pillowcase of candy and wished a "Happy Halloween." She held the tape dispenser between her teeth as she stuck them to their white front door.

Just then, the elevator dinged. Glancing to her left, she saw Arthur stroll down the cheerfully lit hallway. Buoyant expression on him, despite his white, blue, and red make-up being streaked from sweat. Striped prop bag on his shoulder and carved pumpkin cradled in his arms. "The store owner was going to throw it out," he explained with a half hug. "But he let me have it as a tip."

Classic, triangular eyes evoked the annual carving contest her parents had taken part of back home. Her father had been well-known in the community, being the town's only doctor. Entering the competition had been expected. They'd never won but enjoyed it all the same. Y/N had picked out the patterns and scooped out the squash's slimy innards. Her mother had baked the seeds. Peals of their laughter echoed in her ears, and a lump formed in her throat.

She swallowed hard against it. Dammit, Y/N. Get it together. This was supposed to be a special night for Arthur and her. She needed to distract herself. One of his curls peeked out from under his bald-cap and green wig. She twirled a strand around her finger. "With that toothy grin, it just might be your twin," she said. He pecked her temple, the kiss sticky from greasepaint. She lit the half-melted candles using his red lighter and put the jack-o-lantern just outside their door.

While he freshened his paint in the bedroom, she slinked into the bathroom to change. Arthur's and her routines were closely aligned; keeping her costume hidden had not been easy. The headband holding the furry cat ears was quite stiff, its teeth a tad sharp on her scalp. Once it was in place, she hid it under her hair. The lint on her form-fitting stretch top and leggings reminded her why she rarely wore all black. She retrieved her brown eyeliner from the nearby shelf and started in on her whiskers.

Arthur's footsteps neared, heavy due to his clown shoes, and Y/N turned to lean back on the sink. His thin lips parted as he scanned her body, forehead furrowed in pleasant surprise. His reaction planted a seed of bliss in her belly, one that bloomed every second they regarded each other. The lunch she'd have to spring for was well worth the pink shells of his ears. Eventually, she held out the fluffy, wired tail and a safety pin. "Would you pin this just below my waistband?"

Fingers grazing hers, he took it and sat on the toilet lid. He cupped her hips and pulled her closer, positioned her until the dampness of his breath hit a bare sliver of her back. "Hold still," he murmured, his voice sending a tingle through her. At his gentle ministrations, the spandex of her leggings felt snugger. "Did you- Did you read my journal?"

A faint click of metal as the pin closed. "No." She colored the tip of her nose, frowned at how lackluster the shade was. "I'd never do that. Even if I'm dying for a preview of your material. Why?"

"No reason." A soft huff, his shy smile clear in his answer. "I have an idea." He handed her a washcloth and hurried out of the room. She was patting her face dry when he returned, a fine tipped brush and pot of black greasepaint in his hand. "This'll look better."

Her brow arched. She'd only had her make-up done once; Patricia had invited her when they'd first met. Such an outing was not her preference, but Y/N had accepted, being new in town and wanting to learn about her colleague. There'd been champagne at the counter, which she'd sipped until she'd spent too much on eyeshadow and apricot scrub. The next morning, she'd put the products and a note on Patricia's desk: "I'll never forgive you. Thanks!"

The heat radiating from Arthur prompted her to close the gap between them. She craned her neck towards him, slid her palms to his yellow vest until she held him just below his ribs. His forefinger curled under her chin, lifted it slightly and angled it to the right. The cool, wet brush met her fevered skin. The dusty smell of the greasepaint blended with a whiff of stale cigarette smoke and traces of his sweat. She licked her lips.

The vibration of his chuckle was felt before heard. "I really like your costume," he said lowly. Two more ticklish caresses of the bristles on the apple of her cheek. "If you're not careful, I might werewolf and go wild."

She stretched closer to him, the fervor in his tone going straight to her center. Though he'd been growing bolder, his cocky side wasn't often revealed. She wanted it, thirsted to see more of the wild horse kicking inside him. Her touch ran over his chest, until she dipped under his black suspenders and pulled. "Are you going to gobble me up?"

Teasing strokes on her nose. "Maybe." Then his thumb whispered along her jaw and guided her face upwards. His kiss was supple, slow, a drag of his mouth as his tongue sought entry. She yielded, the simmer of anticipation bringing her to her toes. He groaned deeply and palmed her thigh, then fondled the curve of her rear-

The ding-dong of the doorbell halted them. He lifted his head and laughed, gaze sparkling. "I got paint on you."

She twisted in his arms and looked in the mirror. The whiskers caught her eye, embellished at the ends with dainty curlicues - his skill never ceased to impress her. Red brightened her lips and streaks of white were on her cheek. "It's all right. They'll just know I've been necking with a clown."

~~~~~

The sound of the bell continued. Over and over and over. More than it ever had in Otisburg. There were mummies, ghosts, a couple of skeletons. A superhero proudly displayed his red cape and blue tights, and a kid in her karate robe went on about her yellow belt. A tiny clown, too young to walk, was brought by her sister. As Arthur made funny faces, the baby cooed and tried to take his red, foam nose. Arthur parted with it gladly.

Only one member of the Wayne family appeared, slicked back hair and pompous pout making the disguise complete. The man accompanying the boy introduced himself as their upstairs neighbor and shook their hands. After one look at Y/N, he nudged Arthur's bicep. "So, she's the one keeping half the building up at night. Good on you, pal." Arthur blinked in confusion as she ushered the guy away, red-faced and muttering about his nerve.

Arthur was overly generous, giving out fistfuls of sweets while taking a few extra seconds to gather his nerves and compliment the costumes he liked best. It felt good to interact with strangers without constantly second guessing himself. Y/N would rub his arm or kiss his shoulder and tell him what a great job he was doing. "Kids are easy," he said, refilling the candy dish. But he reveled in her praises, anyway. And the knowledge that meeting the neighbors was going well.

Clean-up required little effort. The jack-o-lantern sat on their kitchen table, flames flickering as the wicks burned away. The door decor was packed safely for use next year. His plaid blazer was slung over the back of a dining chair and his wig was off. Y/N's decision to leave her whiskers on pleased him - she made a damn sexy cat. He pocketed the last few pieces of candy to snack on during the remainder of the evening.

The Sunday Night Special Presentation she'd picked out, a made-for-TV horror movie, began at 9:00 PM on GBC. Most of its airtime was punctuated by her tipsy snickers and legal wisecracks, which was typical when they watched something stupid. Yet, as the show went on, she grew quieter, barely speaking between sips of her third cocktail. As they sat on the sofa, her posture stiffened. Forearms crossed over her breasts. Her nails dug into her upper arm.

The change started two-thirds of the way into the show, when the plot about a doll running amok twisted into a story about a professional woman trying to assert herself against the demands of her mother. Against the expectations of availability. To fight for the simplicity of having dinner and peace and quiet. It resonated with him, which felt weird. Especially when the film cut to black, the implication being the mother would meet a violent end at the hands of her possessed daughter.

A cheerful jingle came on. Puerto Rico was a direct flight from Gotham Airport, it advertised, a flight that lasted "two hours and fifteen tropical minutes." They should get out while the weather was still good. The juxtaposition of mood broke him out of his ponderings. He flicked off the blaring television with the remote. Then he heard Y/N sniffling.

She set her glass on the coffee table, a slight tremble in her hand. "I need some air," she whispered as she rose, then went out onto the fire escape.

Arthur rubbed his thigh and pressed his lips together. He wasn't used to seeing her cry. Not from sadness. Should he follow her? Give her time? Both had worked previously, depending on the situation. But he wasn't sure what had upset her, what situation they were in now.

Exhaling sharply, he grabbed her glass and dumped the rest of the drink down the kitchen sink. Rinsed their dinner plates and put the slow cooker in the fridge. When he'd finished making decaf coffee ten minutes later, she still hadn't returned. He ambled towards the ajar glass door and stepped out.

Moonlight outlined her shapely figure and reflected off her hair, the silver a contrast to the orange glow of the streetlamps illuminating her face. Her stare seemed fixated on the street below. He followed it to see a group of ghouls and goblins spraying shaving cream on a shop window. A couple, one he'd see occasionally when out for a cigarette, walked down the sidewalk. A woman was half-carrying a drunk man towards a bus stop.

Upon clearing her throat, Y/N spoke. "I may not look like it, but I had a great time with you tonight. The movie just got to me." Relieved, Arthur sidled next to her, wrapped his arm about her back. Her head fell to his shoulder and she smoothed her hand over his stomach. "I don't mean to hide from you. Someday you'll know the details of my earlier life." She scoffed. "When I'm ready to think about them." He entwined their fingers and kissed her hairline, avoiding the wired tips of her cat ears.

Shivering, she took a shaky breath. "There are no skeletons in my closet. Only disappointments." Her voice cracked as she beamed at him, cupped his cheek, and pressed her face to his. "Knowing I'd get to have you would have made those years so much easier."

He held her tightly, massaging between her shoulders. She'd been speaking about herself, but he couldn't help thinking it was about him, too. His years with Penny. His stints in Arkham. The loneliness, the isolation, the endless anger and yearning to be more than a speck of dirt no one cared for. His journal was full of questions about where the hell his one and only was. If he'd known she'd be real, tangible instead of a figment, would existence have hurt less?

Wincing, he tried to push through those thoughts. To focus on her instead of himself. What mattered was that Y/N needed him. Perhaps a joke would cheer her. "I was thinking the other night of how easy it is to smile around you," he said. "You tickle my funny bone." Amusement bubbled in her throat, music to his ears. She released a contented sigh and nuzzled the crook of his neck.

Peaceful stillness ensued as the minutes passed. Though the breeze was chill, goosebumps forming on his pale skin, her affection kept his heart warm. His fingertips rubbed circles into her lower back, and she offered a pleasured hum. Across the way, footsteps pounded. He glanced to see a kid darting up the street, plastic pumpkin pail in tow. The boy's scream was filled with boundless energy: "Happy Halloween, Gotham!"

Snorting, Y/N took Arthur's hand and led him inside. The cheap tail she wore bounced with every exaggerated swivel of her hips. "I've behaved all evening, which your werewolf comment made extraordinarily difficult." She looped her arms around him and flashed a come-hither stare. "May I have a goodie?"

The scrape of her nails on his scalp coiled a knot in his abdomen. "Aren't you supposed to say 'trick-or-treat?'" he asked huskily.

"Your pussycat needs a petting or two." She closed the bedroom door behind them. "Maybe even a mauling."

His brows shot up on a hitched giggle. Then he palmed her hip while she started in on his buttons. Before she got too far, he traced a whisker with the pad of his thumb. Let their foreheads meet and pecked her eyelids. "Only if you give me something good to eat." He pressed into her, his enjoyment relentless, not waiting for her reply before devouring her mouth.

~~~~~

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