#key kid Stephen

[rate-my-keykid]

And the key kids I've (re)made since khux ended.

Introducing from left to right: key kids Maxie, Stephen and Damond!

Is today the day they finally hit the beach??? I love, 10/10

[pleasestopthese]

i have polls now today but this isn't a poll question even though other people asking similar are making polls about it. this is more conversational. tell me: who was your gateway into crime (and before you answer, let me specify: ) fiction? put it in the tags!

[madamspellmans-met-tet]

🍷Illicit Affairs🍷┃ Ch. 3

Lilia Calderu x fem!reader

wc: ~ 3.2 k

summary: Lilia has a stressful day at work and wants nothing more than to enjoy a hot bubble bath—but she is interrupted.

*******************************************

All of Lilia’s pants had been in the washing this morning, leaving her with no other choice but to wear a pencil skirt that she didn’t dare bend over in for fear it might rip. The new concierge had been paying her enough attention today without the need for a spectacle. Who was she kidding? She would’ve laughed her pretty ass off if it would’ve happened. 

She drove home through the dense autumn fog after her shift and nearly ran into an unfortunately positioned trash can, but after a day of yelling at people to get their shit together because the hotel inspectors were bound to show up any day now as they did every year, she didn’t have an ounce of energy left to work herself up about it. Her scalp ached from a day of wearing her hair tightly pinned up, even now that she’d tugged it loose. 

In her driveway, she left the car without her parka but regretted it as soon as she'd stepped out. She was plucking the house keys from her bag when the front door opened. Alice came out with her hair curled and a tinge of scarlet on her lips that matched the ends of her fringe—a highly unusual sight. 

"Mh, where are you going?" Lilia sang. 

"Just Stephen's."

"Stephen." She weighed the name on her tongue. "He has a name. So it's serious."

"Well, we've had a few nice dates, and he's—he's a good guy, mamma, I promise. Even mom said so, and she—"

The house key dug into her palm as she clenched her fist around it. "Lorna has met him?"

“He was in the area, and—and you don’t like men.”

She huffed, blinking the ache away, swallowing, and nodded. While she might not have the same interest in men that Lorna did, she would have hoped Alice knew she would never mock her for dating one. Didn't she know that she loved her no matter what?

Alice sighed, a breath heavy with guilt. “Are you mad, mamma?”

“No.” She stepped closer and fixed Alice's lipstick with the edge of her red nail, holding her face between thumb and index finger. The smile didn't reach her eyes. “Just sad.”

Alice pulled her into a hug and squeezed tight, squishing her cheek against Lilia's as she'd done since she was a little girl. Lilia put her hand on the back of her head and felt the hurt in her chest melt away. Even when she drew away, Alice kept her arms looped around her neck, and Lilia put her hands on them, rubbing her thumbs in crescents. "You look beautiful, piccinia. Bellissima."

"Thanks." Alice smiled and let go of her. "I'm off now." She kissed Lilia's cheek. "Don't wait up for me."

She set about to leave, but Lilia stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Wait. Have you heard from my docezza? She left so suddenly after the concert—"

"She cancelled band practice this week. Not sure what's going on, but I'll give her a call tomorrow."

Lilia took the information in, but it did nothing to quell her worries. Her mind went spinning with possibilities of what could've happened. "Va bene. Have fun, my love." 

"Bye, mamma."

She ran off with a wave, and Lilia looked after her for a moment before going inside. It was quiet. Her house was hardly ever quiet. Having Alice live with her again after the divorce had ensured it stayed that way, but now she was once again leaving the nest. When Alice had first left for college, it had thrown her into a midlife crisis that had led to her ripping the tapestry off the walls one night and then renovating the whole house. This time, she was developing a crush on the sinfully much younger best friend of her daughter.

She tossed everything aside—her bag, her coat, her shoes—and went to the bathroom to open the tap and draw herself a hot bath. Letting the water run, she headed for the bedroom to fetch her bathrobe, reading glasses, and the copy of Wicked Witch on her nightstand. While she was at it, she let her clothes pool at her feet and stood naked in front of the floor-length mirror. 

-> continue

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Inanemorphs thought:

Some decades after the war, there's a Stranger Things type show where instead of teens working at an ice cream shop like Stranger Things, they're at a knockoff Cinnabon or Dunkin Donuts and discover some kind of shapeshifter/changeling/replaced loved ones. It's very clearly nostalgia/tribute to an era but also occasionally dealing with the Horrors? How would the Animorphs react

The comparison to Stranger Things is key, because IMHO the most interesting thing about that show is its ambivalence toward the 1980s. Both in the way it's nostalgic and critical toward the '80s, but also in the way it struggles to balance recreating vs. critiquing the norms of the time.

Like, look at the treatment of Soviet characters. There's clearly an effort to acknowledge Not All Russians, with sympathetic characters in Dmitri and Oleg, and even likeable scoundrels in Yuri and Melnikov. BUT the show still has Evil Greedy Soviet Scientists as its main villains, and still portrays everything in Russia as rusty/dirty in contrast to the pristine advanced U.S. settings. It's no Atomic Blonde, but it's no Red Dawn either.

Same goes for the issue of race. The show at first replicates the "one token Black kid in a 99% white cast" dynamic of '80s fiction which fucking sucks. BUT it has its only Black boy date a white girl, which would be unlikely to happen in a real '80s show. BUT it confines its discussion of racism to 2 - 3 isolated moments perpetrated by Bad People. BUT it also tackles the reality of kids being confronted with teens' and adults' hate, again in a way a real 80s show might not.

Same goes for gender (every boy must have a crush on the One Girl in each generation, BUT the girls get fleshed out as much as the boys). Same goes for queerness (replicating the coy hints Eddie's queer with no confirmation, BUT having Robin be an out lesbian supported by her friends). So on.

I think Stranger Things does an excellent job of doing a simultaneous homage and deconstruction of fiction from that era — Stephen King, Ridley Scott, John Hughes, Stephen Spielberg — but fumbles when trying to find a middle ground on realities of that era.

Anyway, people who were American teens at the end of the Cold War probably have a different perspective on all this than I do, because I know those media but I have little/no nostalgia for them.

[charliehoennam]

hero's homestead

A/N: just a lil blurb I've had stuck on my mind and had to frigging get out since watching Road House

Pairing: Elwood Dalton x f!reader

Warnings: physical injuries, jealousy, kissing, mentions of grief and death

SHARING IS CARING, SO PLEASE REBLOG

Growing up in Glass Key made your face quite familiar around these parts. Everyone knew you, not because you were popular or from a rich family. Lord knows you wish you were.

But because the island was just so small, like a little fishbowl with too many sharks circling around their prey, everyone knew each other around here. However, the small island was full of a strong sense of community.

Your friendship with Charlie started while you were in high school. You were just a freshman and Charlie was six when Stephen and his wife would very often ask you to baby-sit.

Saying no to them was nearly impossible. Not only did they pay you well, but they always offered you a ride home and made you sure you had dinner before leaving. They really treated you like you were part of the family and helping one another in the community was just so normal.

They always treated you with welcoming kindness and respect so, if there was anything you could do to help them, you did it. Aside from baby-sitting Charlie, this included working at their book store.

You were around there most of the time. If you weren't at home or at school, you were at Glass Books.

As you got older, you started to spend less and less time there in order to focus on your own personal and professional life.

That didn't mean you were never around anymore. You still made your frequent stop to buy the new read of the week.

"Why don't you just get all the books you want for the month, so you don't have to keep coming back?" Charlie questioned genuinely curious.

"Nah, I like coming here. I like the service. And besides, you'd miss me too much, kid" you chuckled watching the young teenage ring your book up at the register.

When Stephen told you about his wife's illness, it really took you by surprise. She could've easily been voted the happiest woman of Glass Key. The aura she possessed could make the dullest room become the brightest. Her sense of humor would have even the most no-nonsense person cracking a smile. She was an amazing woman and a motherly figure to most.

The entire community mourned her loss. The blue sky and the tropical environment wasn't enough to brighten the day for your neighborhood's residents. The heavy rains that followed that entire week led you to believe that even the island was weeping for her absence.

Between medical expenses, funeral costs and a growing teenager, Stephen had to learn to be a single father quite fast. And that meant working a full-time job to make end's meet.

He asked you to help out with the store and you happily agreed. Glass Books was his wife's dream. She loved spending her days there, in the cozy little bookstore she'd built with the love of her life.

Although you know Stephen has a lot on his plate, you can't help but wonder if he wants to avoid the store and her memory altogether.

You refused to accept money for it, knowing the shop didn't make so much money. Even so, Stephen would still transfer you a small amount whenever he could and would often bring you breakfast, lunch or dinner because he felt it was the least he could do.

All you wanted to do was help.

He was more than grateful, especially when he saw how you could make Charlie laugh by putting on music and dancing in the middle of the store with her.

He could see her slipping into a dark place after the death of her mother. Dealing with his own pain, he did his best. But, you were the best friend she needed. A feminine figure she could go to talk about more embarrassing situations or just to get her mind off of the loss.

Gradually, it seemed like their small family was beginning to heal. Although the loss was a still a fresh wound, and Stephen would often find Charlie clutching a small portrait of her mother asleep in bed, they were managing to keep the pain at bay.

You understand how important this store to them. It represents so much more than being just a simple local book store. It represents her.

The store was just as special to you as it was to Charlie and Stephen.

It had always been your refuge, but now, it was always the place where you met him.

Charlie, with her overly friendly nature that she inherited from her mother, struck up a conversation with the then stranger just outside the bookstore.

Her overprotective father was soon outside within seconds. Although the friendly streak ran deep within him too, he knew these parts were full of men with bad intentions.

Once he realized the stranger wasn't from around, he felt a little more at ease.

Although you remained inside the shop, you could overhear their conversation as you inched towards the door and opened it to stand in the doorway, eyeing the stranger with caution.

Stephen was surprised to know he'd come out of town to work at the Road House. To be honest, neither of you expected him to last very long. At that place, security never does.

The bouncer turnover never ceased with the riots that broke out there almost every night. So, you didn't bother getting your hopes up.

However, Dalton kept coming back. Every other day, he came in with the excuse of using the computer or buying a book just to strike up a conversation with you and lay down his flirtatious charm.

Charlie was the first to notice he would always come around when you were there and, if you weren't, he'd always make sure to ask when you were.

She had quite a bit of fun poking fun at you, telling you he had a crush on you or mocking the unconscious change in your voice you had when talking to him.

It didn't long take for feelings to develop between you and him. There was no doubt in either of you. Although unspoken, the magnetic attraction was undeniably present.

Some of those talks were deep and you felt you could confide in him to share things you hadn't shared with anyone at all. He, in turn, told you about the night on the train tracks and how the last fight he had in the ring haunted him every night.

There was no denying the bond you were forming. However, the rumors that were spreading around the island about the closeness between Ellie and him made you hesitant to make the first move.

When you casually brought it up into conversation, he shook his head and told you it wasn't anything serious and that she'd took him on a date once. You wanted to ask him if he had feelings for her, but that would be too much.

"So what's the deal with you and Dalton?" Charlie curiously asked, having picked up on the constant courtship that you two refused to act on.

"There is no deal. We're just friends. Hardly that."

"I may be young, but I'm no fool. I know there's something going on between you two."

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but there isn't. Besides, I hear he's got a sort of a girlfriend" you replied without looking up at her from the book in your hand.

You were both sat in fold-out beach chairs placed in front of the store, enjoying a couple of white cherry slushies, hoping the ice cold drink could soothe the hot, humid weather.

"How do you have a 'sort of girlfriend'? Either she is or isn't."

"Those things are complicated. I guess they're getting to know each other," you shrugged wishing you could avoid the topic.

"Like you guys are?"

"There is nothing going on. Sure, he's cute and funny and all, but he's seeing someone else. He's not interested in me, Charlie."

"So, you are interested in him?"

"It doesn't matter if I am. She's a doctor, she's smart and she's really pretty and drives a nice car. I know I don't stand a chance, so I'd rather not get my hopes up," you rambled, failing to read anything on the page you were stuck on. "Can we please drop this now?"

"Oh my god," she smirked staring at you. "You're jealous."

You scoffed at her ridiculous accusation and shook your head as you closed the book and set it in your lap.

"I am not jealous. I do not get jealous."

"Yes, you are! You totally are!"

"I am not! I just don't want to talk about this anymore, alright? So can we drop it?"

"Alright, alright. Sorry I brought it up."

She couldn't stop smiling as you opened your book to continue reading. Although you weren't her parents, her mind couldn't stop thinking of a way to parent-trap you into getting together.

However, her plans were brought to a halt when Brandt's lackeys invaded the shop just a few days later.

You tried your best to stand your ground and defend the shop along with Stephen. He told you to leave, but you refused.

After the beatdown you both received unwillingly, a fire had been set and the cruel men left. The adrenaline that surged through your bodies was enough to numb the pain in order to get you both quickly back on your feet to put out the fire.

Between the blood loss and the resurfacing pain, the billowing smoke got stronger and stronger. The flames became too strong too quickly and had engulfed the entire wall across the front counter.

Light-headed and dizzy, Stephen tried to save whatever he could from the store. As you rushed back and forth, you realized that the fire had grown too much and swallowed the front entrance.

The heat of it shattered the glass windows. The open air only fueled the fire more. Coughing from the heavy smoke, both you and Stephen got down on the floor to avoid the unbreathable air and attempted to crawl to the back exit.

Everything went dark after that and melded into one huge blur.

You don't remember when you actually blacked out, but you do remember feeling relieved once you heard the fire department's arrival.

The time you spent in the hospital was short - only a couple of days - but it was enough to make you reflect on your life.

An overwhelming sense of regret washed over you as you thought about Dalton.

You'd only known each other for a few weeks, but what if you could've had something special? What if Charlie's jokes were true and he actually ended up to be your soulmate?

She could be wrong too, but the fact that you could've died and never found out if you ever really did stand a chance ate at your mind.

You hadn't fully realized the extent of your attachment until a couple days later.

You show up at the store with a limp from the beatdown you'd received a couple days ago.

Stephan tries to assure you they're fine, that you need to rest and recover, but you argue that you'll go insane if you stay at home with nothing to do, high on pain meds.

Helping the owners clean and salvage whatever they can, Charlie casually mentions that Dalton and left her and her father a suitcase full of money to rebuild the store before he got on a greyhound bus destined to leave Glass Key.

The same regret you'd felt in the hospital strikes you again and secretly consumes you.

You try to play it off and instruct her to not to tell anyone about the money. You barely understand what she said after that. All you can think about for the rest of that morning is that he left and didn't even say goodbye.

When Charlie and her father invite you to get some lunch with them, you politely refuse, opting to stay back and keep yourself busy. You lie and tell them you had a big breakfast beforehand just so they won't worry.

You promised you wouldn't get your hopes up. You knew better than that. Bouncers never last at the Road House. You know this just as well as any of the other residents of Glass Key.

He's gone now.

You just want to be alone for a bit to process it.

The door opens and the bell above it rings as you sweep away at the shattered glass, forcing you to look back over your shoulder.

The sight you see has you frozen in surprise.

His face is impossible to forget. You could never forget those big blue doe eyes, even with the dark skin that circles his right eye.

You groan lightly at the shooting pain from your broken rib as you straighten and turn to face him, holding the broom by your side as you stand next to it.

Dalton closes the glassless door behind him as he greets you with a silent but friendly smile until the cut on your lip and the black eye remind him of the damage he caused.

He doesn't look too different from you. His eye is still a little swollen but mostly black now, his lip busted and the stitches on his eyebrow are all evidence that business has been handled at the Road House.

"So, the Glass Key hero returns" you smile at him, ignoring the sting on your bottom lip. "Charlie said you were riding off into the sunset. You forget something?"

"I'm not a hero and, no, I didn't" he starts, looking around the burned down shop trying to swallow his guilt.

"Changed your mind?"

"Someone kinda changed it for me, actually. A very wise person told me that heroes don't always have to ride off into the sunset. They can stay and make a homestead instead."

Joy bursts within you like fireworks on new years. You try to fight back the smile that creeps onto you lips.

"Thought you weren't a hero."

"I'm not."

You nod biting the inside of your cheek to mask your excitement. You take the second broom that Charlie had been using earlier and left leaning against the wall by the front door.

"This homestead could use a hand" you smile and offer him the broom.

He takes it with a happy grin, feeling finally accepted as if he finally found somewhere he belongs.

"There's, uh, one more thing" he says in a soft voice.

His hand raises to your chin, tilting your head up as he cranes his neck to kiss you in the most tender of ways.

Unable to forget about Ellie, you place a hand on his chest and gently push to stop the kiss.

Dalton's face contorts with confusion. He doesn't notice the breath he's holding, anxiety settling in as he fears that you'll ask him to stop. Maybe he got the wrong signals and you don't like him that way. He'd respect it, if that's the case, but it doesn't mean his heart won't be crushed.

"I thought you were seeing Ellie?"

He blinks slightly surprised. That's not what he had expected to hear, but it makes him kind of happy that you're not asking him to stop.

"She took me on a date and we kissed, but that was it."

"So, you are dating her?"

"What, are you jealous?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm not jealous."

"You sound a little jealous" he smirks.

"I'm not. I just... I don't wanna get my hopes up."

"I'm not dating her," he says gently stroking your bruised cheek. "I told her there's someone else for me, someone that I really wanna date."

He gazes into your eyes as you smile up at him and let him continue his kiss. You let his lips linger on yours and smile when you feel them stretch into a grin.

The cuts on your mouths hurt, but neither of you bother to pull away.

His kiss gradually intensifies. His tongue flicks over your bottom lip, politely asking for entrance. His free hand reaches for your waist as the other sets against your cheek, leaving the broom tucked in his arm.

You let his tongue slip past your defenses. The gentle way his hand cradles your face has you holding onto his strong forearm and the other broom for balance as the room spins around you from his vertiginous kiss.

Your chest presses against his as you moan softly into his mouth. It takes him every ounce of his self-control to not pin you against the wall.

The bell rings again, alerting you both of another's presence so you quickly pull apart, trying to quickly compose yourselves. Your eyes shoot to the door along with Dalton's.

You realize who it is, so he shyly lets his eyes wander around what's left of the store and sweeps the ashy floor.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Charlie smirks sipping her juice from a straw as she stands in the doorway.

"No, no," you reply nervously as heat pools in your cheeks. "Dalton and I were just, uh, cleaning up."

"Cleaning what? The floor or each other's throats?"

Dalton snickers at her candor, glancing at you until she continues.

"Good to see you're back though. And if you ask me, it's about time."

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

snowed in

A/N: i literally got the idea for this fic last summer... and I know I could have written a whole long thing, but I just wanted the smut and the vibes.

summary: “who the hell are you? what are you doing here?”

warnings: Steve Harrington x Hopper's niece!reader, smut, forced proximity, being snowed in, very light enemies to lovers vibes, kissing, fingering, handjob, brief pussyjob, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, dirty talk, thigh riding, somno adjacent, multiple orgasms

word count: 3465

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

masterlist | join my taglist

Finally, after what had felt like the longest car ride of your life, you stepped out of your vehicle and stretched your legs. 

Even with the sun as just a simple memory at this point, the plump piles of snow still illuminated the forest you now found yourself in. Sticking your head back into the car, you grabbed the small duffle bag you’d hastily packed this morning and turned to approach the small, secluded cabin. 

This was exactly what you needed. A few days away from everyone. Just you and nobody else.

Upon entering the rustic home, the bag in your hand almost instantly fell from your freezing fingers, being so exhausted from the long travel that you didn’t bother setting it down properly. 

Just then, after you’d stepped out of your snow-covered boots, shredded your thick coat and the other winter essentials you wore in order to fight the cold, the bathroom door in the seemingly abandoned home swung open and gave you such a big fright that you nearly sprinted out the front door, clad now in entirely too little to even joke about such a thing.

Your scream pierced the cabin walls as a young man appeared and nearly jumped out of his skin as well.

“Jesus christ!” he held an arm out in alarm, “who the hell are you? What are you doing here?”

It was first now that your buzzing vision focused in on the stranger and noticed that he was in fact only dressed in a towel hung dangerously low on his hips. 

“Who am I? Who are you?” you shrieked, trying not to let your eyes explore his exposed skin, still glistening from the shower. 

“I asked you first.”

“I’m Y/n Y/l/n, Hopper’s niece! Now tell me who you are before I call my uncle and have him arrest you for trespassing!”

“My name is Steve, and just for the record, princess, Hopper let me stay here this weekend.” 

“He did?” damn it… you should have called first instead of just grabbing the spare key and heading all the way there without a single word. “Are-… are you sure?”

“Am I-,” he repeated, sounding offended that you even asked, “yes, I’m sure!”

“Shit… I drove all day to get down here…”

“…and you didn’t bother to call ahead first?” he furrowed his brows and crossed his arms over his broad fuzzy chest. 

“Oh, shut up, Stephen!” you wallowed in your misery. 

“It’s Steve.”

“Yeah, whatever dude,” you huffed, glumly peeking back out the frosty window at your car, “you’re not the one who has to drive all night in order to get back home,” you muttered dramatically, “it’s not like I can just pull over and sleep in my car when it’s minus-, ugh, I don’t know, a lot outside,” you let your head slump forward and collide gently with the freezing windowpane, hiding none of your despair. “You know what, on second thought, the freezing-to-death option doesn’t seem half bad in comparison to going back home…” you joked against the glass, then quickly added when you glanced over your shoulder to see his face filled with horror, “I’m kidding, though I might fall asleep at the wheel, we’ll see.” 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Steve uncrossed his arms to gesture to the living room area, “take the couch.”

“Really?” you gasped. 

“But just till the sun comes up, you got it?” he pointed his finger at you in warning. 

Waking up from what must have been one of the most uncomfortable nights of sleep you’d ever experienced, you clawed your way out of the mountain of blankets you’d piled on top of you in hopes that it would help remedy your unwavering chill. You’d even hopped in just about all the clothes you’d brought with you, but it still wasn’t enough to make your shiver stop. 

Gathering yourself as quickly as you could, you kept up your part of the deal and exited the cabin first thing. Or rather, you tried. 

Attempting again and again, the front door just wouldn’t budge. Putting your shoulder into it, you finally managed to shove it open just a few inches revealing the blinding white sight of a mount of snow pilled up directly against the door, nearly coming up to your hip. 

“Oh my god,” you sighed, quickly moving to one of the frost-covered windows to get a better view of your obscured car, completely buried under a huge pile of snow, “you’ve got to be kidding me…”

Emerging out of the small bedroom, Steve greeted, “morning, princess. You on your way out?”

Turning your head to look at him, you caught the chill that went up his spine as the small sliver out to the aftermath of the blizzard was just enough to penetrate him to his bones. “Apparently not,” you gestured to the state the cabin’s porch was in.

“Oh, shit,” the sight woke him up more effectively than coffee. 

“What do I do? Do you think I could get rid of the snow near the door enough to get out?”

“Maybe, but even if you did manage to dig your way out, that car is first of all completely buried and second of all would in no way be able to drive in this weather.” 

“Well, what if I walked? Hawkins can’t be that far.”

“If you could drive then yeah it wouldn’t be too bad. What, do you think you could walk all day in 4 feet, if not more, of snow? You would get hypothermia if you just stepped out on the porch with the way you’re dressed.”

“Oh, I’m sorry that I didn’t have time to pack any blizzard-appropriated clothes, you dick!” you snapped at the striking stranger, “what do you want me to do, huh?” 

“There isn’t really anything to do except wait it out,” he stated, then moved to open a small cabinet and rummaged through it a bit. 

“Wait…” you echoed, glancing back out the window and letting your unfortunate circumstances sink in. 

“Here,” he tossed a thick woollen sweater directly in your face. It was big and undoubtedly your uncle’s, “so you don’t freeze to death.”

“What?” your hands froze in their preparation of the small couch for yet another chilly night of sleep. 

Glancing up at Steve in pure shock, he continued with a small eye roll, “jesus, I’m not asking you to marry me, I just don’t wanna wake up to find your frozen corpse on the couch.”

“It’s not that bad…”

“Princess, I could hear your clambering teeth through the walls all the way in the bedroom last night,” he cocked his head a moment, then clarified with a sigh, “just, you stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine, it will just feel like we’re sleeping in the same room.”

“Except it is the same bed,” you blinked up at him, “you want me to sleep in the same bed as you? Seriously?”

“Well, I’m sorry for trying to keep you alive, keep you warm. It’s not my fault the only fireplace is in the bedroom and doesn’t do shit for the rest of the cabin!”

And after a long moment of squinting at him suspiciously, you then said, “…fine. But I swear if this is just some cheap trick for you to try something-”

“Oh my god, no,” he cut you off with a laugh, “have you met you? You’re absolutely infuriating.”

Alright, he didn’t have to say it like that… “Well, good, because if you try anything I’ll stick my uncle on you as soon as I get out of here.”

You had no idea how you ended up like this. You hadn’t started out like this last night but somehow, at some point during the restful night, you and Steve had become rather entangled. 

His face was pressed into the side of your hair, and it wasn’t just his strong arm that was draped across your torso, one of his thick thighs was stuffed in between yours as well. It was almost as if he had just rolled over and clicked into place against you. 

You could tell by his slow breathing that he was still asleep, although your own got caught in your throat as it dawned on you what exactly it was that was poking your side. The mixture of his morning wood and his thigh pressing up against your panties made your mind suddenly recall not the specific details of the dream you’d just woken from, but the theme it had was now as crystal clear in your mind as the arousal that still dripped down onto the cotton of your underwear and surely soaked Steve’s thigh. 

You weren’t completely awake yet, still hazy, clinging to that fleeting memory of your liquid dream. And without even realising it, you began to rock your hips down against his leg, breathing out a soft sigh as your eyes fluttered closed again. His gentle breath seeped directly into your ear and acted as a gentle soundtrack lulling you deeper into that drowsy dawn desire. 

You didn’t even realise how deep you had sunk, how long you had grinded your soaked panties over his thigh, it wasn’t till you neared the edge and let out a needy sound, loud enough to burst your own bubble, that you woke you up completely with a jolt, jumping under the duvet and scampering away from Steve.

Swiftly trying to play it off as just a loud yawn, you faked one as you felt Steve stir behind you. 

Your body still very much entwined with his own, it didn’t take long for him to notice how his morning excitement was poking you and let out a gravely curse underneath his breath. 

“Fuck,” he quickly worked to distance himself from you, the now missing warmth sending a shiver down your spine, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” you squeaked, hiding your still-flushed cheeks in the pillow, “you have nothing to apologise for, it’s a totally natural thing.”

“Yeah,” he breathed beside you, his morning voice making you suck in a deep breath in order not to get all worked up again, “totally natural…”

“Stop shaking,” Steve grumbled in the bed beside you, “you’re making my teeth rattle.” 

Yet another night had bloomed outside the cabin you continued to be snowed inside of with a man who had over the past day or so moved on from being a complete stranger to something more akin to a forced acquaintance. An acquaintance who had made your pulse spike all day since what happened this morning… 

“I-I’m sorry,” you shivered, “how are you not freezing?”

“Guess my body is just more used to the cold than yours.” 

Then, without warning, Steve made a split decision and rolled over, wrapping his long arms around you, and drawing you in close. “What are you doing?” you protested, planting a hand on his chest and glaring up at him with wide eyes. 

“Would you just shut up and let me help?” his hands tightened their hold on your trembling form, fingers digging into the borrowed woollen sweater that you still adorned, “I won’t get any sleep if you don’t warm up soon.” 

Slowly, you let your body relax in his embrace, feeling your bare legs press up against the soft fabric of his pyjama bottoms, and how his whole body radiated heat, making you feel as if you could melt right into his chest. 

“Thank you,” you averted your gaze from his entrancing chocolaty ones, bowing your head gently and over time letting your forehead drop into his chest, right under his chin. Eventually, you felt his fingers begin to dance along your spine, drawing soothing patterns, probably in an effort to draw you closer to sleep, but his soft touch only succeeded in the complete opposite, igniting little sparks that travelled through your body and ended at your core. 

Your breathing notably changed as you lied there, scared to move in case it would prompt him to halt his touch. As you felt his fingertips begin to occasionally dip down under the hem of your sweater, briefly caressing your bare skin, you buried your face even deeper into his shirt and dug your fingers into the material, breathing in his scent and trying to stay silent. 

It didn’t take more than the tiniest turn of his own hip for them to come into contact with yours, within seconds you let out a muffled gasp as you felt the palpable tent in his pants, pressing against you and standing proud in search of your warmth. 

Absentmindedly you wiggled your hips gently against his, eyes screwing shut as you heard the prominent exhale that he let out right above your head. One of Steve’s hands instinctively slid down to grasp your hip, though not in an effort to stop them, just holding them steady as he gently attempted a rock of his own against your centre. 

“Steve,” you breathed, tightening your fists in his shirt. 

“Do you want me to stop?” his fingers slowly curved around your bottom, palming your ass lightly through the thin cotton of your panties. 

“No, don’t-, please, don’t stop,” you pleaded into his chest. 

Feeling one of his hands glide up to grasp your cheek, he tilted your head back and searched your dark eyes, “you sure?”

“I’m sure, I’m so fucking sure, Steve, please-” your hazy sentence was abruptly cut short as he crashed his lips into yours, seizing you quickly, though when he had landed, he surprised you by slowing down, your own mouth needing a moment to catch up to the unexpectedly leisurely pace, though in no time you found yourself whimpering against his lips as he kissed you like if he had all the time in the world, enjoying every second as he flicked his tongue teasingly over your lips and lapped up your blissful smile. 

Your brows furrowed as his fingers found your soaked panties, playing with your clit through the fabric, “you sure you don’t just want my thigh again, princess?” he purred, catching off guard, “just pick up where you left off this morning?”

“You-,” you reeled back breathlessly, both your hands still holding on to either side of his face, “you were awake?”

“Sure was,” he smirked, hooking a finger in your underwear, and pulling them to the side. 

“How long?” your chin rose in a silent gasp as you felt him explore your wet petals.

“Every single second,” he gently dipped a finger inside your leaking hole, “fuck, do you know how hard it was to keep my hands off of you all day?” his digit pumped in and out of you slowly, making your hips angle towards him for more, “I’ve never been that turned on during a game of scrabble as I was today.”

“Should have just pushed the game aside then,” you slid your right hand down from his cheek to the bulge straining in his pants. 

Dipping your fingers down below the waistband, you grasped his hard cock, “oh yeah? Is that what you wanted me to do? Just make the pieces go flying and bury my face between your thighs?” 

“I don’t think I need to answer that question,” you uttered as the noises of your slick heat join in and mixed with the crackling flames still dancing in the fireplace in the corner of the room. 

“Have you just been this wet all day, princess?” he joined an additional finger in beside the other one. 

Your impatience only grew after you gave his girth a few needy tugs, “well I didn’t get to finish this morning, so yeah,” you pulled his pants down just enough to free his stiff length, the waistband coming to rest just beneath his heavy sack. 

“Poor you…” he withdrew a moment in order to yank your panties down your goosebump-ridden legs, “you want me to help you? You wanna cum?”

Not giving his fingers a chance to return, you angled his dick and swiped the bulbous head through your folds, nudging it especially against your little swollen pearl, “please.”

“You wanna cum on my cock, is that it?” he pulled your left leg up to rest upon his hip, spreading your pussy for him and giving him more room to play. 

“Yes,” flowed past your lips like a breathy prayer. 

Grabbing onto the base himself, he overpowered your hold, “tell me you want it,” he nudged the tip rudely against your clit. 

“I want it,” your answers were quick and desperate.  

“Tell me you wanna cum on my cock,” he flowed down to tease your entrance. 

“I wanna cum on your cock, please, please, please,” you pleaded, turning into complete puddy in his hands. 

Thrusting his hips forward, he purposely only gave you the tip at first, slowly, with every unhurried thrust giving you more and more till he was buried to the hilt inside you, balls pressing against your sticky skin. Once he had given you everything he had, his slow movements came to a complete standstill as you found each other’s eyes and as one reeled in the sensation together, catching your breaths a moment before diving into a hungry kiss. 

Lips locked, his movements began again, keeping the thrusts long and slow, dragging out nearly all the way, and occasionally truly all the way, before filling you back up in a manner that was both so slow but also hard, a manoeuvre that managed to take your breath away completely every time. 

Before you knew it, sneaking up on you unexpectedly like a thief in the night, your body began to tremble again in his embrace, though this time it wasn’t from the cold. Not changing his pace one bit, he fucked you through your orgasm, kissing your cheeks as your eyes rolled back in overwhelming ecstasy. 

Still under the covers, pushing through the overstimulating pleasure he gave to you, Steve suddenly grabbed your ass and in one fell swoop manhandled your trembling form, rolling over so you could be on top of him. 

“So fucking pretty,” he readjusted the duvet around your shoulders, then slid his large palms down your body, “come on, don’t stop now,” you felt his hand come down upon your immobile ass, your fuzzy brain not yet caught up to the fact that the pace was now in your control, “you can do it, princess,” he fingers dug into your hips, kickstarting their movements, “keep going for me.”

You tried to bounce in his lap, you really did, but with your thighs as shaky as they still were and your walls still clambering down on his dick from your intense high, the result ended up looking rather clumsy, though you didn’t care as you slowly rode out your sensitivity and gathered up the strength for more.

With your face completely buried in his neck, panting against his pulse, you moaned in his ear, “please,” trying to keep up your light rocking.

“What?” his fingertips danced over your spine, “can you not do it yourself? Has my dick made you go so dumb that you don’t even know how to ride it anymore?”

“Steve,” you pouted, smooching your face deeper into his skin.

“It’s okay, princess,” his fingers slid down towards your hips again and grasped them tight, holding them in place, “I don’t mind doing all the work,” your upper body melted into his skin even more, “you just lay here and keep making those beautiful noises for me, yeah?”

“Mhm,” you felt yourself begin to drool as he started to buck up into you. 

Completely losing himself to the rhythm, Steve's ever-flowing groans evolved into the most earthshattering moans you’d ever heard, the sound alone making you feel dizzy, although the ridiculous pace he had worked himself up to was more than enough to get your screams to bounce off of the cold cabin walls.

Jerking violently in his arms as your second peak washed over you, the sensation almost being too much to bear, he held you against him, not letting you go till you were more than done and your throbbing pussy had milked him off all of his worth. 

Plastered against each other under the toasty duvet, his softening girth still split you apart as his sticky load slowly leaked out and painted his pyjama pants, you murmured weakly into his skin, “so when do you think the snow will melt?”

“I don’t know, I think spring might be a pretty safe bet.”

Peaking up at him, you asked, “are you still in a hurry to get rid of me?”

Glancing blissfully down at you in his arms, he smiled, “I think I could manage if you stayed a little longer.”

© 2023 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[mixsethaddams]

“I’m going to have so much fun with you.”

This really got away from me. Roughly 2220 words. Pre-relationship/implied getting together Steve/Eddie fluff, Steve’s bad parents briefly mentioned.

Steve was always around when people were having fun.

He was a permanent fixture in the background at trips to the arcade, days at the quarry, trips to the city. Steve was always there. The kids would practically be chanting his name on the drive home from whatever excursion they all went on, grateful that he was there to let them have all the fun they wanted. Nancy and Robin would each link one of his arms and stroll along, chattering quickly about their newest favourite movie or the amazing song they heard on the radio before he untangled himself and let them walk together. Jon and Argyle would laugh softly between themselves and call him “super Steve”, trying to ruffle his hair before he slipped away to let them enjoy their haze in peace.

No one ever noticed that Steve wasn’t having any fun. His shoulders were locked in a stiff line. His smile never quite reached his eyes. Stephen Harrington Senior’s words echoed across his memory every time he felt himself on the cusp of laughing a little too loud.

“Don’t make such a fool of yourself, laughing and like an idiot! Get it together and act like a real man. Sit up straight, stay serious,”

Steve had stopped asking for birthday parties after that year.

He loved seeing his friends losing themselves into a fit of hysterics. Loved watching their faces turn red as breathless laughs bubbled out of them. It made him want to lose himself in the moment right there with them, but he could never quite shake off the thought of what if Dad finds out?

But no one noticed.

Well, at least until Eddie Munson started paying attention.

Steve found it harder to hang back and linger on the sidelines whenever Eddie was around. He’d always find himself being dragged right up beside the rest of the group, unable to fade off to the edge of everyone’s peripheral vision. His skin itched every time but purposely removing himself after it happened would be obvious. Steve didn’t want to explain to his friends that he was too embarrassed to enjoy himself because his mommy and daddy might think it was in poor taste.

Still, Eddie saw.

Eddie would grab his elbow and pull him off to the side if Steve’s inability to hold a real smile started to creep up on him. Close enough to everyone else to not raise suspicion, far enough away that the hairs on the back of Steve’s neck laid flat again. It was a loose routine that turned rinse-and-repeat of Eddie pulling Steve right into the middle of the action, and then taking him back out again. Anyone else and Steve might have fought back. He might have demanded it stop, say it made him uncomfortable, he might have even picked up his car keys and gone home.

Steve couldn’t put into words exactly why he let Eddie do it, but the feeling that rolled through his stomach when Eddie would pat him on the shoulder and say Loosen Up, You Might Like It kept him from pushing back.

-

Steve pulled up at Eddie’s trailer at nine sharp, ready to bring the Hellfire gang home after a long session. Usually he would hear them from outside, loudly rambling about spells and dice and classes and all manner of things. Tonight though, Steve heard nothing when he knocked on the door.

“Hey Stevie,” said Eddie, swinging the door open.

“Where, uh, where is everyone?” asked Steve with a furrowed brow, looking behind Eddie and into a very empty living space.

“Cancelled the game,” Eddie shrugged, grabbing his jacket off the back of the door. “Come on, let’s go,”

Steve found himself being pushed backwards down the steps, mouth open in annoyed confusion.

“Cancelled? What?” he protested. “Why didn’t they tell me? I could have made plans, Ed-��

“Steve?” interrupted Eddie, a smile pulling at his lips. “Shut the fuck up, ‘kay?”

Steve made a noise as if to talk back but Eddie just waved a finger in front of his face before gesturing for him to follow.

They didn’t speak during the short walk to the back half of the trailer park but it wasn’t exactly quiet. A local football team had won a game earlier in the evening and the residents were either celebrating wins or drowning sorrows of a loss. Steve loved the buzz of the community in Forest Hills, even if it reminded him how suffocating life in Loch Nora was. Sometimes he let his mind wander and created a fantasy life, where he drove back here after a days work and Eddie greeted him at the door with a smile and a kiss.

Eddie led Steve just beyond the homes that littered the park and to a small clearing just off the path.

“Alright, alright, alright!” exclaimed Eddie, clapping his hands and gesturing to what was laid out on the ground in front of them. “You wanna be blue or red?”

In the dim light of the summer evening, Steve realised he was looking at of a game of cornhole, set up and ready to go.

“Too late,” said Eddie quickly, snatching a red beanbag from the grass. “I’m red, snooze you lose,”

Eddie tossed his ammo at the board, hitting the centre hole and just barely brushing the edge. Steve wondered why he was never scouted for basketball in highschool. It was a great shot.

“Oh yeah!” yelled Eddie, lifting his knees high as he ran a small victory lap around Steve. “Beat that, Harrington!”

Steve glanced back at the closest trailers, wondering if Eddie’s shouting was disturbing then. He was still unsure why exactly he was playing a game instead of driving people home, but when no one opened a door to tell them to pipe down, he scooped up a blue beanbag and aimed.

“Uh, yeah, ok…” he mumbled, lining up the shot.

It went in with ease, not even touching the sides.

“Beat it,” said Steve with a shrug.

Eddie balked and spun around dramatically, putting his hands in his hair. He stopped abruptly mid turn, legs still crossed around themselves, and glared at Steve.

“You’re not celebrating,” said Eddie. It wasn’t a question.

“Oh, I, yeah,” stuttered Steve before punching the air. “Got it, alrightttt,”

“That was terrible,” groaned Eddie, shaking his head and going to retrieve the beanbags.

They played a few more rounds before Steve asked again why he was here.

“You’re telling me driving a bunch of kids back home would be more fun that this?” teased Eddie.

“No! No, sorry, thats…” Steve sighed. “I just don’t know what’s going on, you know? This wasn’t exactly what I thought my night was going to look like,”

“And what was it going to look like?” asked Eddie.

Like a microwave dinner and bed before ten. Like lying awake until the sun came up wondering if Eddie was sleeping or up all night drawing. Like wishing he was doing exactly this.

“I don’t know,” lied Steve.

“You’re not enjoying it?” asked Eddie, firing another beanbag right into the target. “Fuck yeah! I’m on god damn fire tonight,”

Steve looked around again, expecting to see people glaring at the from their windows.

“I am, I am,” said Steve quickly. “Just don’t want your neighbours to come yell at us for the noise, that’s all,”

Steve tried to smile but it felt like more of a grimace.

“Yeah,” said Eddie with a heavy sigh, taking Steve’s beanbag and throwing that too. “Figured that was it,”

“Hey, that was mine,” started Steve. “Wait, you…what?”

“You don’t make a lot of noise, Steve,” said Eddie. “I can see it fucking bursting out of you sometimes but you keep it all wrapped up in there,”

Eddie tapped Steve’s chest.

“Thought for a while you didn’t feel included,” continued Eddie, swinging his arms as he retrieved the beanbags once more. “But then, that wasn’t it either so…”

“So?” asked Steve, folding his arms and feeling slightly defensive.

“So I remembered what Wayne told me once about the street you live on,” explained Eddie. “Said no matter how many times he fixed a car on someone’s driveway, spent a day nailing tiles to a roof… He never once heard a kid playing,”

“That’s not true!” Steve said automatically.

But it was. Children were to be seen and not heard and if you couldn’t play quietly then you couldn’t play at all. Steve read a lot of books in his childhood until he learned to be quiet.

Eddie hummed and lined up another shot, holding the blue beanbag up to thrown.

“I’m the blue one,” Steve told him.

“What?”

“You’re red,” said Steve.

“Sorry, can’t hear you,” shrugged Eddie, throwing the blue bag.

Steve let out an involuntary noise of indignation before clapping a hand over his mouth. It was louder than any noise he’d made in months.

“Oh?” asked Eddie, smiling wide. “Was there something you needed to say?”

“You threw my bag!” said Steve in a stage whisper, checking around again to make sure he hadn’t disturbed the neighbours.

“You’ll have to speak up!” yelled Eddie, holding a hand to his ear.

“Eddie, I’m not-“ Steve scrunched his face up and kissed his teeth. “I don’t know why it bothers you so much. I’m quiet, okay, that’s it, that’s all,”

“Oh, it doesn’t bother me,” said Eddie easily. “But the way it bothers you is kind of difficult to watch,”

Eddie turned to face away from the target and threw the red beanbag over his shoulder, missing the hole in spectacular fashion.

“Ha!” The laugh was out of Steve’s mouth before he could stop it and he cringed again.

“Steve, look, listen, okay?” said Eddie, coming to stand in front of Steve. “Listen to what’s happening around you,”

Steve could hear football fans still partying. Dogs barking. Children screeching at the park’s nearby playground while their parents called for them to come in from the dark.

Eddie put his hands on Steve’s biceps and shook him gently.

“Life is loud sometimes,” Eddie told him earnestly, squeezing his arms. “This place is loud. The world is loud. You are allowed to be loud, sweetheart,”

Steve’s heart skipped at the nickname.

“I don’t think I am,” said Steve softly. The moonlight lit up Eddie’s eyes as he watched Steve closely.

“Have I ever lied to you?” asked Eddie.

“Yes,” answered Steve.

“In a way that mattered,” said Eddie, rolling his eyes. “The kids will ready to leave in ten minutes doesn’t count. What I mean is… Okay, so put it this way,” Eddie voice fell to a soft murmer. “I’m telling you, promising you, that you can make as much noise as you want. And no matter what anybody else in the entire world might think or say, I’ll be right there beside you, being even louder. Because you need to know that it’s okay to make noise and be heard, Steve,”

Steve was struck by Eddie’s sincerity. Part of him wanted to laugh at the implication of them being loud together and he could tell Eddie did too, but he was too caught up in realising how close Eddie had gotten while he spoke. The toes of their sneakers were pressed together and Steve could smell the last cigarette on his breath. The softness of his voice in contrast to the promise of noise, making it sound like almost a secret between them.

“You will?” whispered Steve.

Eddie moved back and went to stand by the target. He threw the beanbags to Steve and pointed down to the bullseye.

“How many points do you want for a direct hit?” asked Eddie loudly.

“Uh…fifty?” said Steve, unsure of the sudden change of subject.

“Can’t hear you,” called Eddie, louder again.

Steve felt a laugh start to rumble in his chest as he caught up to what Eddie was doing. He looked at Eddie, waiting with raised eyebrows for a response, and fought the urge to dampen it.

“Fifty!” said Steve, forcing his volume up.

Eddie’s smile grew.

“One more time?” he said, even louder now.

Steve let the laugh out.

“I said seventy five!” yelled Steve, throwing his beanbag.

It sailed through the hole dead-on. Steve rolled his head around on shoulders and closed his eyes, before throwing his arms up and whooping. He spun around and laughed up towards the sky.

“Are you sure you said seventy five?” teased Eddie as he came back to Steve’s side.

“How do you know I didn’t say a hundred?” countered Steve playfully.

The laughter between them died down slowly, leaving them watching each others faces with leftover soft smiles. Eddie put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, right at the juncture his neck.

“It’s fun, right?” asked Eddie gently, his thumb stroking along the bare skin at the edge of Steve’s t shirt.

Steve leaned into the touch, the tips of his fingers buzzing to reach out and touch Eddie right back.

“Fun, yeah,” repeated Steve, grabbing the bottom of Eddie’s jacket and just holding it.

Eddie held up the remaining beanbag in his hand.

“Wanna do it again?” he asked, shaking the bag. “Keep this fun train rolling?”

Steve smiled.

“I’m going to have so much fun with you,” said Steve. “I can tell,”

[markscherz]

Do you have any recommendations for a beginner trying to learn evolution

CrashCourse Zoology and Biology are good places to start. After that, Coursera and other MOOCs might be able to scratch the itch. A series of textbooks could also help, starting general biology and steadily working towards textbooks about evolution specifically.

I learned a lot about evolution as a kid by listening to Stephen Jay Gould essays on audio cassette, even without fully understanding what I was listening to. The key is exposure, and, if you want to go further than the basics, reinforcing what you hear with proper teaching/academic learning.

[newtonsheffield]

As a fellow former theatre kid, that image of Kmart rugs making a costume is VIVID in my mind. That is my entire childhood, because who needs high class costumes when you can put an entire cast of pre teens in $4 Kmart shoes and skater skirts?

Actually I had to provide my own shoes! And my orphan dress was made from a flat sheet from Kmart! We may not have had the budget but the Townsville Civic Theatre was ALIVE when we were on that stage 😂😂 Filled to the Brim with talent that did not have to audition. You only had to audition for the leads. The chorus was filled with people that had simply put their name down to be in the production!

That was actually the last production I was on stage for. After that I was headhunted to be in the orchestra and that was probably better suited to my talents 😂 That being said: The Tornado from The Wiz? My nemesis to this fucking DAY! I’m a classically trained saxophonist and the way the horn section is out of fucking breath by the end of that song is crazy. The key signatures in that musical are so fucking challenging. The music is beautifully written, I think all the time about What would I do if I could feel? But some of it is quite complex patterning. The overture to Wicked is another thorn in the side of musicians everywhere thank you Stephen Schwartz. I guess what I’m saying is next time you got to the theatre spare a thought for the poor musicians down in the darkness of the orchestra pit who have had to do a 15 minute vamp of Centerfold because the kid in tech rehearsal can’t remember the fucking lines 4 months into rehearsal 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Anyways, musical theatre is a gift. Townsville Civic Theatre: Miss you dog.

[loggiepj]

UNTITLED WANDA SHORT STORY

Part 9 | Part 10

Wanda: (moans) Fuck, Y/n—

You: Shit, you feel so good squeezing me like this.

Wanda throws her head back unto the pillows, back arching, as you thrust yourself deeper into her. Her walls hugged you tight — the enchanted strap that Wanda made you wear on your hips.

Wanda can see the desperation brewing inside of you as she pulls you into a hungry kiss, fingers threading through your hair to hold you in place. Your bodies press against each other with your hips drilling into hers. Her legs wrap around your back; one of the heels digs your lower back.

Wanda lets out a whimper when you hit a good spot inside her, making her pull away from the kiss. You both press your foreheads together, gasping and breathing heavily with sounds of pleasure as you stare at each other's eyes.

W: Why are you in a hurry?

Y: I only got five minutes left. Ten if we're lucky.

W: What— oh, fuck—

Before Wanda can ask why, you fasten your pace.

Wanda's nails dig into your back, breaking skin. The pace is relentless knowing any minute now, Stephen will come knocking on her door.

W: I love you, Y/n. Fuck, I love you.

Tears start to brim in the corner of your eyes as you nod back at her.

Y: I love you so much more, Wands. (Wanda's hand moves to squeeze your butt, pulling you much closer if that's even possible.) Fuck, you have no idea.

The Wanda writhing uncontrollably underneath you has no idea that you're not the Y/n she's married to in that universe. She has no idea that her Y/n, who was away for work that day, didn't just go home to have a quickie with her wife. She certainly didn't question earlier how you managed to get inside her lovely house when she remembered you forgot to bring your key when you get off to work in the morning.

Wanda screams in pleasure as she pulls you and hugs you against her. Your face buries into her neck. She shudders as she comes, moaning your name into the air. The moment makes you lose it.

Your hands grip on the sheets as you come, your eyes rolling to the back. You don't even question how everything feels so real, as if you're painting her walls with your own release, and how good it feels when her tight walls seem to milk you for more.

You grow obsessed with the idea of Wanda in other universes that you always find yourself volunteering to Stephen's missions when it involves travelling to one. Wong was initially against it once he found out. But eventually, he stopped meddling into your business.

Whenever you get the chance, however minimal, an hour the most, you start to savor each second with the version of Wanda who looks at you and loves you dearly. Luckily, Stephen hadn't looked for you yet when he had lost track of your sudden whereabouts. But most of the time, you got distracted with how amazing Wanda was at that universe you were visiting, that sometimes, Stephen would come barging into her door with a face you couldn't paint.

You know you’re living a lie and you can't go on living like this. Not when everytime you get back to your own universe, you and Wanda have become close friends. So close, it's starting to become unbearable not being able to kiss or touch her.

Your growing friendship with Wanda was what led to your breakup with Maria. Everyone had seen it coming, to be honest. It just took one of you to admit to the other that it wasn't working anymore. It just happened that it was Maria who ended it.

Wanda, on the other hand, is ecstatic the moment she finds out that you're single. And it isn't because she now knows what happens in the future — of you two getting married and having two kids— that she is spending too much time with you whenever you're around in the compound. Even when it's just as friends, she cannot help but feel the tension between the two of you.

There are even moments, however short, when you and Wanda would pause on talking and just stare at each other, eyes drifting towards lips, gaps closing without noticing. And those are the moments Wanda swears you two will finally kiss.

But of course, it doesn't happen.

Vision notices the tension too. How can he not? He asks Wanda one night if she has feelings for you.

But she only turns silent, for she doesn't even know herself.

She just knows that her heart beats like crazy when you're near her. She just knows that her stomach is filled with butterflies whenever you talk sweetly to her, unintentionally or not. She just knows that she now craves for your presence, even when it's just the two of you eating breakfast silently or watching the television together seated chairs apart.

She just knows that it's different when it comes to you. Good different.

Vision: Maybe . . . You’re already falling for her and you don't even know it.

What Vision said, breaking Wanda's trance, made her realize something.

It's true.

She's falling in love with you.

Taglist: @smromanoff @nightingalexx @dubleshcpi @marvelwomen-simp @casquinhaa @the-mute1 @samallen20062837392 @swiftie1-0-1 @pampeop @bxtrflyr @cherlenovix @eliii1sblog

[darkphoenix07]

Handling you when you're drunk

Masterlist

Mental health request

Paring : Choi San x Reader

Genre : Dancing in the rain, Fluff, Drunk comfort, Birthday special

Warning : Too much sweet 🎂 Just like Choi San

💜A birthday special one shot 💜

9.35 p.m.

San is waiting for you to come home as it's raining outside and you are in your company dinner. You've called him saying that you'll be late but he can't sleep without you, specially when you are out there in this rainy weather.

As he sits beside the window with a cup of coffee waiting for you, he thinks of you like a madman. He misses the way you smell, the way you smile, the way you feel when you hug him.

Suddenly his phone's ringtone breaks his thoughts and he answers the phone, "Hello, sweetheart."

"Hello, Sana? Are you still up?" Everytime you call him that, his heart squeezes a million times.

"Baby, you sound drunk," he says.

"Because I am really drunk. Can you pick me up?" You tell him wobbling in a corner in front of the restaurant. You know driving is not possible for you right now and you can't find a single cab. Everyone has left you because you said that you want you boyfriend to pick you. No one is ready to handle your drunk self without him.

"Of course, tell me the name of the restaurant," he asks as he takes the keys and starts driving after getting your answer.

As his car comes into view, you run towards it getting drenched in the rain, not caring about how cold it is.

"Hey!" San shouts leaving his car and taking out the umbrella.

But when you hug him, his eyes melts though he gets wet as well.

"Thank you for rescuing your princess," you tell him.

He understands the amount of alcohol you took to say that you are his princess. Normally you scream at him if he calls you his princess.

"Get in the car now or else you'll catch a cold," he tells you as he starts to release the hug but you grab his hand and abandon the umbrella somewhere.

"Y/n?"

You start clapping seeing his bangs falling down because of the heavy rain.

"You are such a kid. Get inside the car," he tells you but you shake your head.

"No, let's walk home," you tell him and he hits his forehead with his hand.

"Don't be silly. Both of our cars are here. We won't be able to go this far," he tells you but you pout sitting on the street.

The mud, water getting mixed together.

"Hey! Get up. Sweetie," he drags you up trying to clean the mess but it's sticky, they get stuck in his hand too.

"Then dance with me in the rain and then you can take me home," you tell him giggling and spinning around.

He watches you as you keep spinning in your red short dress. It's simple but in his eyes, you are looking like a beautiful devil he fell in love with.

"Alright," he says holding your hand to stop you.

"Play a song in the car. Go," you tell him and he nods.

As he starts coming back to you, you hear 'Until I found you by Stephen Sanchez and Em Beihold' playing in his car. You start giggling again as he keeps his hand on your waist and starts moving. You keep following his steps as he spins you around, pulls you towards him, makes you fall into his arms.

He kisses your neck as you both dance in the rain, stick to each other like there is no tomorrow. It's like he always heals parts of you he didn't break. He puts them back together like the pains are their own. He listens to everything you say and takes you to a dream land everytime you are with him.

As you two stop moving, his eyes find yours and he smiles, his dimple showing. His smile is the warmest smile you've ever gotten from someone. His eyes always speak that he loves you like crazy and there is no ending to it.

Then his eyes find your lips, your eyes his. It didn't take for a long time for you two to find each other's lips as your kiss melt one by one turning into something hot subsiding the warmth.

But he releases the kiss first and kisses on your forehead instead, "I won't be able to stop myself if I keep going anymore. Let's get back home."

And he helps you getting inside the car as you fall asleep in a minute. Driving back home, he picks you up and enters in the room you both share.

"I can't possibly keep you here," he says keeping you on the couch.

He changes your clothes one by one and keeps you in your sleeping satin clothes as he starts rubbing your hair with your towel.

"Why are you so cute?" You ask him in a sleepy, soft voice.

"I should be the one asking you that," he says and walks away leaving you on your bed.

As he comes, he helps you to sit up, "Take this lemonade. It's only lemon, no suger. It will help you with the headache."

You drink it and fall on the bed slipping in the blanket.

He pecks your lips before switching the lights off and joining you in bed. But then ends up pulling you into his arms as he falls asleep.

Your sleep breaks just before the midnight and you slowly get up from the bed so you don't wake him up.

Going to your own room, you open your closet as you find your first gift for him. It's a resin pendent for him to wear with a sunflower in it. You made it for him someday ago because he told you that sunflowers reminds him of you everytime he sees them. The sunflower is real that you dried up in your journal you made only for him with your memories and letters which you'll give him with this.

The other gifts are for tomorrow which is spending the whole day in the beach house together, you wil make him a cake too. It will be just you and him spending his special day together.

You take the two gifts on the bed and wake him up, "Sana, wake up. Sana."

"Hm?" He mumbles and looks at you.

"Happy Birthday," you say and it's exactly twelve on the clock.

His smile widens seeing the gift box in your hands.

"Aren't you drunk?" He asks.

"A little but I couldn't forget about my baby's birthday. Could I?" You tell him and he pulls you for a hug getting overwhelmed by your courtesy.

"You know I love you, right?" He asks you and you nod because you don't know how to thank him for reminding you that everyday like no one else did or does.

Choi San was the best gift fomade only for him with your memories and letters which you'll give him with this.

The other gifts are for tomorrow which is spending the whole day in the beach house together, you wil make him a cake too. It will be just you and him spending his special day together.

You take the two gifts on the bed and wake him up, "Sana, wake up. Sana."

"Hm?" He mumbles and looks at you.

"Happy Birthday," you say and it's exactly twelve on the clock.

His smile widens seeing the gift box in your hands.

"Aren't you drunk?" He asks.

"A little but I couldn't forget about my baby's birthday. Could I?" You tell him and he pulls you for a hug getting overwhelmed by your courtesy.

"You know I love you, right?" He asks you and you nod because you don't know how to thank him for reminding you that everyday like no one else did or does.

Choi San was the best gift for you, you didn't know what gift will ever be suitable for a man like him.

💜 Happy Birthday Sana 💜

Oh to have a man like him in our life and being able to give him so much love 💞

[untaemedqueen]

At Your Service

Escort!Jeongguk x CEO!Reader

Genre: Strangers to Lovers!AU, Angst, Fluff, Smut

Chapter 25 (Final).

Series Warnings (Will Be Updated): Angst, Fluff, Cold Heartedness, Emotional Trauma, Healing, Smut, Dark Humor

"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.

It matters that you don't just give up," Guk mutters to himself, quoting Stephen Hawking as his fingers fly across the keys of his computer.

As he enters the final letters, he simply sighs. Leaning back in his chair, he picks up his glass of wine. His eyes skim the sixty four chapters he's ardently written over the course of the year and his heart beats erratically knowing that all his work, all his thoughts are now written down for forever.

His fingers comb through his hair, lips parting for the rim of his glass when a gentle cry breaks him out of his reverie.

Jeongguk's eyes flit to the clock on the lower right of his computer and he's up in a flash.

Cracking his knuckles, he exits his office. His mouth opens widely to yawn loudly while his nails itch at his bare chest. His feet pad down the newly carpeted hallway of the mansion and he finally stops at the doorway of the open room down the hallway.

"What's the matter, bud?" he gasps playfully, stepping into the nursery.

His face immediately breaks out into a smile at the sight of his son and when his child does the same, putting two small fingers into his tiny mouth, your husband chuckles.

"C'mere, c'mere," Jeongguk coos, lifting your one year old with ease.

He holds him close, pressing his lips atop his child's head and his eyes flutter shut at the peace he feels.

When you gave birth, when you brought this little man into the world… his whole universe rocked off its axis. His whole perception of reality shifted and warped into something that could only be described as perfection.

"Did you have a nice nap? Should we go find momma?" your husband inquires sweetly, angling his head to look at the baby who buries his face into his neck sleepily.

"Mkay, let's go," Guk croons softly.

The father of your child has appreciated the alone time you've been giving him lately but now that his final philosophy paper is finished, he realizes just how much he's missed you. "What do you think she's doing? Hmm? Maybe she's in her office?"

He continues down the long hallway, the expensive beige carpet muffling his footsteps every inch of the way.

"Ba ba ba ba," his son gurgles aimlessly, laying his heavy head against his shoulder.

"Mhm, I thought the same thing," Guk whispers with a laugh.

Peeking into your office, he's surprised to not see you there. You're usually cramming to get work in on these quiet Fridays.

Raising an eyebrow your husband leans over the second floor balcony to find your new furnished living room without you in it. You decided after a while that you needed to get more child friendly furniture, especially now that your baby boy now knows how to crawl around. All of the artistic furniture had too many sharp edges to keep a kid around.

Guk turns his head when he hears clattering from the walk-in closet and he immediately sets off with a smile at the thought of seeing you.

When he enters the room, he simply blinks at the sight before him.

"What're you doin', baby girl?" he inquires, watching as you pack the diaper bag with intent.

Turning to him with a wide smile, you put your hands on your hips. "Did you finish? Is it done?"

"My thesis? Yeah, I just finished it. Why?" he replies curiously.

"Oh good!" you beam, slinging the diaper bag over your shoulder, "Let's go!"

"Where are we going?!" your husband asks, laughing aloud when you grab his hand and pull him out of the closet.

"We're going to celebrate!" you whisper happily, kissing him softly.

His free hand cups the back of your head gently and he pulls away just far enough to raise a brow.

"Where?" he whispers back conspiratorially.

"It's a surprise! C'mon!" you whine, tugging his shirt.

Your husband looks you over in a flash, mouth dropping open at the sight before him. "You're wearing sneakers, what have you done with my girl?"

"Okay, these are Louboutin sneakers. So I'm still fashionable and… anyway, mind your business and let's go," you retort, booping his nose cutely.

"Your son is in his diaper, can I put some clothes on him before you make us go climb a mountain or something?" he mumbles, heading back towards the nursery.

"I'm just so excited!" you whine, stomping your feet.

"Excited for what?! Explain!" he calls back to you as he enters your son's room.

"No!" you call to him, trudging down the hallway.

When you finally get to the nursery, you watch from the doorway as your husband mumbles to his son aloud. "What's wrong with mommy? Why's she being all weird, huh? What's your little sister doing to this woman?"

Rolling your eyes, you put your hand on your hip as you lean against the doorframe.

"You look good in black, buddy. Just like daddy," the father of your child whispers approvingly.

When he tilts his head to you, a smirk plastered to his face, you can only giggle at the sheer handsomeness of him.

"It might not be a girl, y'know," you breathe, watching him lift your son back up.

"I can dream and besides I'm the luckiest guy in the universe, I'd only get luckier if I have a princess on the way," he coos, closing the distance between you both to kiss your forehead.

When you smile up at him, he snorts softly.

"Okay come on!" you cheer, going to leave the room.

You're fully stopped when your husband curls his arm around your waist and you look up at him with a pout. "What now?!"

"Gimme this, you don't carry heavy things this early in pregnancy," he mumbles, peeling the bag off your shoulder.

"Guk, you're being ridiculous," you sigh, folding your arms.

"Thank you, it's a trait of mine. Now, come on, didn't you say you have a surprise for me?" he beams, slinging the bag over his own shoulder.

Opening your mouth to retort, you stop yourself only to roll your eyes as he kisses your temple.

To be with this man for all this time already, to know that you still have forever to go with him… It's a magical feeling. It's almost a full year since you've given birth, gotten married, bought a summer house on one of the great lakes, and gotten pregnant once again. To be with this man, now sitting beside you eating a protein bar like he's been starved of food his whole life, you do find yourself counting your blessings.

Jeongguk is an amazing husband, an amazing father and quite a wonderful physicist.

He has all this time to be juggling all these things, sometimes you wonder if you're lacking on anything.

He's always so busy these days and he keeps up with everything anyway. It's truly incredible.

Your husband takes your hand over the middle console, intertwining his fingers with yours sweetly. His head lolls back to the rest behind him and he tilts his head to your son in the backseat with a smirk.

"He likes the planets, maybe Seb will be an astronomer," he whispers, lifting your hand to press his lips to the thin skin on the back.

"That'd be impressive," you reply with a giggle, keeping your eyes on the road.

Suddenly, your husband snaps his fingers and you look sharply to your right at the noise.

"I know where we're going! What're you up to, Mrs. Jeon?"

You giggle sweetly, simply raising your shoulders feigning aloofness. "I guess you'll have to see when we get there?"

"Have I told you that I love you today?" he inquires, combing your hair back behind your ear.

"Yeah, like once or twice," you whisper, turning the steering wheel.

"Once or twice?! That's not nearly enough! I love you, sweetheart," he coos, leaning his temple against the headrest.

"I love you too," you breathe sweetly, pulling up to the zoo parking lot.

"I knew it! Oh man, Sebastian is gonna love to see his friends!" Guk chuckles, beaming a great big smile at you.

You thought the zoo would be apt for celebration, especially since this is the first place that your shell began to crack with your now husband.

You remember the fit you went into, you remember how he chased you down with a golf cart… This place is the first place where you began to develop feelings and you smile at the simple thought.

How lucky your life has become since that day…

Leaning over the middle console, your husband drifts his hand across your stomach. He gives you a soft, passionate kiss that blossoms flowers within the deepest recesses of your heart.

When you finally pull away, Guk's coffee irises are alight with happiness and peace. The only thing that makes him look away is your son's excited babbling as he looks out the window.

The warm fatherly smile Guk gives makes you chuckle and he shakes his head sweetly as if he's still astounded by the wonderful choices he's made to get here.

"Let's go enjoy our celebration!" he beams to Sebastian, opening up his door.

As you climb out of the car, your eyes find your friends almost immediately. Your husband has noticed them yet, too consumed by grabbing the carriage and making sure your son is alright.

You give the boys you're now attached to the hip with smiles and a wave.

"How's my nephew?!" Jimin yells, crossing the parking lot to be with you both.

"Oh shit! You scared me! What're you doing here?!" Jeongguk laughs loudly, strapping Seb in before giving Jimin and Taehyung big hugs.

"Y/N told us we're here to celebrate!" Tae beams, leaning over and kissing your cheek as a hello.

Even now sometimes you're astounded by how amazingly close you both have gotten. You can remember how much he didn't like you at first, how jaded he was with you around. Now, everything has changed.

"What do you think?" Tae inquires, spreading his arms wide for you to take in his clothes.

"You look super handsome as always, did Rika send you this?" you inquire, smoothing your hands over his new Chanel shirt.

He nods happily, beaming at you with positively bright energy.

"You look amazing!" you announce, locking the car.

"Ba ba ba ba ba!" Sebastian squeals loudly, lifting his feet with his hands.

"God, my nephew is so cute!" Jimin whines, hooking his arm around Guk's shoulders.

Your husband smirks, looking over at you with sweet eyes. "How'd you know I was gonna finish my thesis today?"

"I know you better than you know yourself," you reply.

"That's true, yeah," your two best friend's chirp at the same time.

With a giggle, you tuck your arm beneath your husband as you all set off.

"Oh man, Seb is excited," Guk whispers with a laugh as your son flails around in his stroller.

"I can't believe you wore sneakers! Where are your elbow length gloves too? Are you okay?" Jimin inquires as you all finally sit down.

"She doesn't like to wear the gloves too often when she's pregnant, it makes her skin itchy for some reason," your husband comments offhandedly, passing you your food.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!" both of your friends yelp at the same time with wide eyes.

You look over at Guk with a wry smirk and he freezes in place. "W-Well we weren't telling anyone just yet because it's really early on a-"

"Oh my God! Congratulations! I love you guys! This is amazing!" Taehyung gasps, dropping his utensils to hug you tightly.

"I'm only five weeks so it's still early on!" you reply, hugging him back.

"Still, it's amazing!" Jimin whispers, kissing your cheek.

When you look over at Guk, watching how diligently he takes care of his son, your fist tucks beneath your chin. He's such a loving father, he's so wonderful and perfect… You are so lucky.

"Y'know… first time we came to this zoo I had to chase her down in a fucking golf cart," Jeongguk announces, wiping Sebastian's chin with the bib.

"Seems about right," Chim guffaws, folding his arms.

"I knew immediately from that day on that my life would never be the same. Now here we are married with Seb, another baby on the way, I'm a damn physicist now, you guys are getting married in July… It's all worked out exactly the way it should have."

You smile widely, watching as the doors of the VIP lounge open up. Sebastian has become so fond of the fennec foxes at this zoo, there's one in particular that takes to him so well and you can only laugh when he pushes Guk's hand out of the way to squeal at the sight.

You are so fucking lucky to be here especially with these people. You're so lucky that you got to have your black, hardened heart reform into an actual working one.

Guk kisses your temple as you watch Sebastian crawl around with the foxes and your heart sings at the peace it feels.

There are three things in this world you are absolutely certain of.

Anyone can change.

You can find love in the simplest of situations.

You are the luckiest girl in the world to have ever found your soulmate out of the situation you were first presented with.

[veryace-ficrecs]

Supernatural Outsider POV Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

God Killer by h0lm3stuck - Rated G

“There’s no way,” Austell says. “That’s——he looks like someone’s dad.” Someone’s criminally hot dad, but still. He’s not splattered with blood with a haunted look in his eyes, not itching for a fight, not toting a bloodthirsty angel along on a leash. Jeanie has to be wrong, there’s no other way around it. “No fucking way is that Sam Winchester,” Austell mutters. “That’s Dean,” Jeanie unhelpfully corrects. “Why do you look so scared?” She laughs. “He doesn’t bite.”

Attached to His Hip by sabarah23 - Rated G

The first time Jeremy saw the green-eyed boy, he had an infant attached to his hip. - or 5 times Dean was a dad in spirit only, and 1 time it was in name, too.

Story Time by Ltleflrt - Rated G

I like to imagine that someday when Dean and Sam and Castiel have finally saved the world, and are able to settle down, that Dean and Cas will get married and settle in a little town and Dean will make friends with all the neighborhood kids. He’ll keep an eye on them, and keep them out of trouble. And he’ll tell them stories….

Devil's in the House by glorious_spoon - Rated G

In which Sam hustles pool to pay for his textbooks, and an unexpected opponent turns up. Pre-series, outside POV.

Superheroes by aeli_kindara - Rated T

"I fuckin' hate group projects." Dylan gives Dean a wary glance. He gets it — he’s not the biggest fan of these things himself. But when you’re a group of two, “I fuckin’ hate group projects” is awful close to “I fuckin’ hate working with you.” In which a teenage Dean Winchester makes a friend and leaves something behind, and Sammy doesn't know when to shut up.

Crossovers

Criminal Minds

Monsters in Your Closet by AlbusCorvus - Rated G

When Castiel goes on a hunt alone and is caught by a particular FBI team, the brothers do something they never thought they’d have to. They kidnap SSA Spencer Reid to make an exchange. But being kidnapped by delusional serial killers is nothing like Spencer thought it would be.

Monsters are Real by WhiskyBoys - Rated T

'Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.' Stephen King. The kid sitting in the interview room swings on the rear legs of his chair, throws back his head, and at the top of his lungs, sings a painfully off-key version of 'Wanted Dead or Alive'. Hotch looks at Morgan with one eye-brow arched in question. "You think he's your unsub?"

No Difference by The_Bookkeeper - Rated T

Derek has been in a lot of bad situations. This one easily makes the top five. Or would, if Dean and Sam Winchester were actually acting like the sadistic psychopaths he expected them to be. Instead, Dean is referencing Star Trek, Sam is comforting Reid, and Derek has never been more confused.

Buzzfeed Unsolved

The Bizarre Winchester Murder Spree by Origamidragons - Rated T

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved we are discussing two of the most prolific and strangest serial killers in recent history: Sam and Dean Winchester.”

Percy Jackson

We Hitch an Awesome Ride by ariadnes_string - Rated G

Percy and his friends get a lift from some guys who might know as much about monsters as they do.

There's Nothing Weirder Than Teenagers by Calculatrice - Rated G

The kid is blinking startled, sea-green eyes at him, and Sam distractedly thinks that he looks a bit like a lost baby seal. "Who are you?" He asks, as if Sam's identity takes priority over the fact that his friend just threw his body into a lake. ___________________ In which a goth kid attempts to drown his friend, and Sam is suitably concerned.

Empousai and Demigods by Eternally_Sidequesting - Rated T

A hunt gone sideways gives Sam and Dean an idea of just how much they don't know about the supernatural.

Indiana Jones

Remnants by oneiriad - Rated G

It's not always easy to find the thing that's keeping a ghost around - bullwhips doesn't exactly make it any easier.

[shippingdragons]

How 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' pulled off Poseidon and Sally's emotional diner chat

Virginia Kull and Toby Stephens talk about shooting episode 7's pivotal scene.

By Belen Edwards on January 27, 2024

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a rollicking fantasy adventure, complete with frightening monsters, high-stakes battles, and gods pulled straight from Greek mythology. So it may come as a surprise that one of the show's best — and most talked-about — scenes is a quiet discussion between two parents.

Of course, these aren't normal parents. One is the Greek god Poseidon (Toby Stephens). The other is mortal Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull), who has spent the last 12 years preparing her son Percy (Walker Scobell) for his heroic destiny — and protecting him from the world of the Olympians.

Like many stories from ancient legends, Sally and Poseidon's relationship is a tragic romance. Separated by circumstances of literally mythic proportion, unable to raise Percy together because Olympian law dictates that Poseidon shouldn't even have a child, their story has no clear solution. Sally carries the burden of the truth about Percy's parentage, while Poseidon is unable to help without endangering both his son and the woman he loves. It's a tough dynamic to understand solely through Percy's eyes, but in episode 7, "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of," Percy Jackson and the Olympians offers us a bigger window into Sally and Poseidon's connection, in all its painful messiness and surprising beauty.

"We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of" marks our first introduction to Poseidon and what his relationship with Sally really looks like. Because of this, our first glimpse of Poseidon in the flesh is not some bombastic display of godly power, but of a man and a woman simply talking in a diner about the difficulties Sally faces in raising Percy alone.

"It was a really clever way to introduce their relationship and introduce Poseidon, because it makes them very human," Stephens said of the scene in a video call with Mashable. "It's a domestic scene between a mother and father, and at the heart of it there's this pain. It's a yearning between two people to be connected who can't be, but Poseidon is also yearning to be connected with his son but can't because he's protecting him."

The diner scene was the first scene Stephens shot for the series, yet the chemistry and history between Poseidon and Sally were already well within reach for the actors. "I really liked working with Virginia, and she's a really great actress," said Stephens. "We found that very quickly. The scene just had a very intimate feel."

Percy Jackson and the Olympians began creating that sense of intimacy between Sally and Poseidon right from the very first episode, with a scene that sees Sally sitting on her fire escape, taking in the rain.

Kull was incredibly excited to see the fire escape scene when she first read the script. "In television, you typically don't have time for things like quiet, ordinary moments. And this seems like a humdrum moment, but I think it tells such a huge story," Kull said. "It's not just Sally sitting in the rain on the fire escape — she's sitting in the rain communing with the great love of her life and the father of her kid, and this is the way that she feels close to him."

The diner sequence feels like a natural progression from that fire escape moment. Sally and Poseidon are connecting in both, but there's still a distance between them. On the fire escape, Poseidon isn't actually present. But even when he's next to Sally in the diner, there's a tragic divide between them. They're close, but still far apart.

Director Anders Engström achieved this paradoxical nearness by telling Kull and Stephens to play the whole scene without ever looking at each other. For Kull, that became a key to unlocking the power of the diner scene.

"What that did to us as actors was that all of the feelings of, 'I need to see how this is affecting the person that I'm speaking to, I want to know what he thinks about what I'm saying,' we couldn't act on," Kull explained. "Therefore, the desire to be heard, to be understood, and to connect was so heightened and so charged, it was electric. It meant that any bad impulse to 'perform' went away, and I was just desperately listening to and clinging to what he was saying. Even the silences were powerful."

In these silences, where Sally and Poseidon sit shoulder-to-shoulder yet never look at one another, Percy Jackson and the Olympians builds an entire world of a relationship that, up to this point, we haven't fully understood.

"Because Poseidon has been absent for the whole show, the audience is going, 'What a jerk, this guy is this absentee father.' And then when you meet him, you go, 'Right, I get it. It's much more complicated, and actually he really does care,'" Stephens said. "This scene is not in the book, but I think it's needed in the TV version, because it gives you much more context."

[neruomancer]

Average Members of Groups of Interest: Where are they now?

Majestic:

*A researcher at an obscure facility or a random no name hired by a security firm. They don't know what a Majestic is let alone that it doesn't exist anymore. Mostly likely to leave behind a bloody green or blue key card for agents to pick up and use

*A former Majestic goon who has been so horrible mutilated by protomatter implants that they look like a cenobite. Frozen in amber and reporting for duty. Biter and an angry March employee activates them to get back at their pissant boss. Now they dwell in storm drains, waiting for easy prey.

The Karotechia:

*125 year old wizard that escaped the plantation burning down. During the war they went to the Tibet expedition and learned about Carcosa and the yellow king. They were a big Disney fan before then so they believed they found the "Magic Kingdom". Avid collector, was very upset about the fast pass situation. Mostly likely being used as an assist by either the Program or some other group under a thin veiled disguise.

*Some weird telegram mod, wasn't even in the original group, was never a rook or a knight. Just heard the name and thought it sounded cool. They just post black sun phonk edits all day. Kind of a pathetic existence. Eventually their group chat will devolve into backstabbing under the smallest pressures.

Saucerwatch:

*OG member, not a big name probably was just an intern before it blew up. Now they are the social media manager for a wellness group that is the front for a cult which is a front for Op.

*Some kid who made an ARG that included some Saucerwatch materials. They didn't really know what it was, they just included it for the Ufology aesthetic for the sake of their analog horror YouTube videos.

The Fate:

*They were around during the upstate New York metal scene. Will corner you to talk about Candlemass or Mayhem. They never got to be an acolyte. Doesn't know what a Nyarlathotep but the satanic imagery was hard as fuck in their opinion.

*Rust cohle styled paranoid conspiracy theorist.Who and What the fuck is a Stephen Alzis? Has a substack with their findings on a guy who keeps dying. They have these weird dreams about a band? They are playing a song to wake up the sleeper.

[swinglifeaway19]

Roleplay Partner Search

Hi there! 

My friends call me Sammy. I've been roleplaying for roughly fifteen years, started on Quizilla ( rip ) and have been writing ever since. I work a full time job, Monday - Friday that takes up the most of my time during the week. Weekends are spent with my boyfriend and friends.Most of my roleplay responses will be weekday evenings & Sunday nights. I'm available most of the time to chitchat or headcanon if that's your jam. I love making friends with my writing partners. Communication is key. 

18+ Please. Am adult. Children stay away. 

Probably over Discord? Unless you have a better suggestion. PM me and we can discuss. 

Doubling friendly and doubling encouraged.   I always play a female oc and a character of your choosing. If you want canon ships for your side, cool. I dont mind. You have an oc that you want to pair with a canon character? Even better. Tell me everything.  

Length. The longer the reply,  the longer it takes for me to reply. I dont really have a length limit, I can match whatever you throw at me, but I'd rather have a shorter reply full of meaningful sentences that move the roleplay along than a long reply full of fluff, ya know? 

Plot > Smut. I dont mind smut, I just need it to not be the sole focus. 

Its been forever since I've made one of  these so I'm probably forgetting something. If you have questions/comments/concerns, feel free to shoot me a message. 

Below are fandoms I'm currently looking for. Bold is who I would like to play against. Italics are characters I'm comfortable playing ( some fandoms have a crap load of characters, if you dont see someone you want in italics, please just ask if I can play them. More often than not, it's a yes). 

A Court of Thorns and Roses series - Completed( Lucien Vanserra, Eris Vanserra, Azriel) [ Azriel, Cassian, Rhysand , Eris Vanserra, Tarquin, ask for more ]

ACOTAR x Throne of Glass Crossover - I would kill to play the child of Manorian, pairing them off with Elucien child. Plot with me pleeeeeeeeease. 

Stephen King's It - Novel, TV Ministries, Chapter 1 & 2 Completed. highly prefer to rp when they are adults, though we can flashback/headcanon platonic moments from when they were kids. ( Ben Hanscom, Mike Hanlon )[ Any of the Losers ]

One Piece - Live Action. Through Zouin Anime ( Roranoa  Zoro. Trafalgar D Water Law. Vinsmoke Sanji )[ Any Straw Hat, Buggy, Mihawk, Shanks, theres a lot of characters so ask ]

Yu Yu Hakusho - Anime Completed. ( Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke )[ Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara. Ask about anyone else but willing to try ] 

Stranger Things - Caught up. ( Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Steven Harrington ) [Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Jim Hopper ]

Hunger Games - Original Trilogy Novels & Movies Completed. Willing to do original plot. ( Peeta Mellark, Finnick Odair )[ Mostly anyone save for Snow ]

Teen Wolf ( Theo Raeken, Isaac Lahey, Stiles Stilinski )[ mostly anyone ]

Until Dawn ( Mike Munroe, male oc )[ anyone ]