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nerdieforpedro · 6 months ago

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Chapter 6 of Weddings 101 with Dieter Series

Dieter Bravo x Maya (plus size OFC)

This blog and fic are for readers 18+ MDNI

Summary: The fallout from the pictures begins and Dieter’s PR leader Vanessa is here to help, we think. Zack is just trying to stay employed. Dieter and Maya make a critical decision. Oscar might actually be useful.

Word Count: 3836

Warnings: naked people, a bad Beyoncé joke, messing with your assistant, some angst, no Cheetos or tequila were harmed in his chapter, sexual tension? or she might not be that into you dude, plotting, being an asshole sister in law, anxiety, I might have a good use for Oscar finally

Notes: This took me a while because I don’t like having loose ends and I wanted to build the drama! Not that there isn’t enough. 😆 With this chapter, this fic is my longest one to date, I'm proud of all the different directions it goes into. I have even more plans for them. 🫡

Main Masterlist/ Dieter Bravo Masterlist/ AO3 Link

Today was one of the days that Zack did not look forward to. He was at the villa at ten in the morning. The photos were everywhere, Vanessa had blown up his phone for information and face-timed him from the jet. He needed to warn both Dieter and Maya that she was coming. Maybe it would be good… “No, I'm lying to myself. Vanessa will question everything. Will I even have a job? She seemed mad though Mr. Bravo’s happy. Doesn’t that count for something? It’s not with drugs.” Walking up to the front door, he was going to use his key when he heard some giggling. “I just…I’ve seen Dieter naked. It’s kinda a requirement of the job. Just not Ms. Maya, she’s a nice lady.” He decided to knock loudly on the door, the giggles ceased and he heard footsteps heavy toward the door.

“Who’s banging on my door this damn early?! You better get out of here!”

“Dee at least ask who it is.”

“I don’t care, it could be the president, pope or, no Beyonce could come in.”

“I am not meeting Beyonce in my robe. My hair is a mess, my face is puffy, I haven’t showered yet…that’s not who it is!”

“I mean, if she shows up on this door, she’s gonna have to be okay with my bare ass, balls and your robe with your cute puffy face. It’s just us. You don’t need one. I’m just going to take it back off to eat you for-.”

“MR. BRAVO IT’S ME ZACK! YOUR ASSISTANT!” He screamed, he didn’t need to hear Dieter removing anything off of Maya or eating her in any capacity, they can do that after he leaves later. Never any filter with this damn man, he just needs to remind himself of his loans. This is for your loans. This job is getting you out of debt.

“Oh! Why didn’t you say so?” Dieter opens the door as Maya yells at him not to. She grabs the throw blanket off the couch and wraps it around Dieter's waist. Zack appreciates that someone has some sense of when to be naked and when not to be.

“Good morning Ms. Maya. Hi Dieter.” The assistant enthusiasm only was on display for Maya who gave him a smile and a hello. Dieter sucked his teeth.

“Hey! Why do you greet her like that? I’m your employer! Be happy to see me, dammit!” Bravo fussed and took a hold of the blanket that Maya had been holding. He needed to pull it up so he wouldn’t step on it.

Zack set his messenger bag on the couch and made a mental note of which throw blanket that was. It would need to be washed later after being thrown on Vanessa first. Maybe in her face.

“Have either of you turned on the TV or looked at your phones? I did try calling both of you, but I assume-” Zack trailed off. He took a good look at them both. Dieter had scratches on his shoulders and chest peppered with bruises. His neck has several hickeys and so did Maya’s. She on the other hand appeared to have bruises that resembled fingers maybe? Zack didn’t want to think too much about it. “You both were otherwise occupied.” He sat down in the overstuffed chair. Dieter sat in the middle of the couch with Maya on one end, he draped part of the blanket over her legs since her robe hit mid-thigh.

Maya shakes her head. “No. We haven’t. Is there something Dieter should be concerned about?”

“It’s something both of you should be concerned about Ms. Maya.” Zack sighs and pulls out his iPad. On it, he loads up Google and type in Dieter’s name. The first ten links are to various sites that have pictures and speculations about Maya and Dieter, their relationship, who she is, what he’s doing with her and all sorts of nonsense. Thankfully, the negative comments are at a minimum, most were wondering if Dieter was making a turn for the better after his two week long marriage to Anika.

Dieter thought he’d been careful. The boutique had been cleared, he thought. The jet he hadn’t been concerned about much of anything except getting her to ride with him so that one’s on him. The restaurant was supposed to only have VIPs, others who wouldn’t care about him being there with someone. Outside of the wedding venue could have been anyone. He hadn’t been thinking on that one either, well other than spending time with Maya that is. Now he’s involved her without her full consent. “Dammit…” He turned to say something to her, anything, but she’d gotten up and walked upstairs. He stood to go after her but Zack called after Dieter.

“Sir, if you’re going to have a conversation with any meaning, at least put underwear on. Also Vanessa just texted and she’s an hour out. No word on what the plan is yet. Don’t say anything stupid to Ms. Maya. She’s…” The assistant’s voice trailed off as Dieter stood next to his chair naked with his hands on his hips.

“She’s what Zack? Maya is funny, wonderful, gorgeous and so damn soft. I better not catch you looking at-“

“Mr. Bravo. I was going to say she’s a normal person like me who’s likely freaked out about suddenly having her picture everywhere and her life questioned by people she doesn’t know. Also I don’t see her that way. I don’t see you or anyone that way. I don’t form attachments like that at least not right away and it needs to be the right person.”

“That’s right, you’re Demi-sexual right? I keep forgetting that.”

Zack massages his temples, his boss has gotten sidetracked. “Task at hand sir. Ms. Maya is freaking out. Reassure her with pants on.” He knew to keep it short so Bravo wouldn’t lose focus again.

“Right, I’m off. Tell Nessa we’ll be down shortly.” Making his way up the stairs, he quickly went into his room, tossed on some boxers and took a deep breath. “Taking advantage of this would be wrong…right?” Daisy nips at his toes. “Hey girl, you gave us some privacy last night? Thanks.” He picks her up and scratches behind her ears. “I want her to stay with us Daisy. I know she has her own stuff, but couldn’t it be part of mine? We could have our stuff.” The goat licks a bite mark on his neck, “Maya’s a bit rough with me Daisy. It’s been a long while since I’ve been handled like that.” The low chuckle at the memory had him curious when the next time would be, if there would be a next time.

In Maya’s room:

“Oh my god, oh my god….nononono…” Panic was taking over, what did this all mean? Is she going to need to change jobs? Her name? What do people even do in this situation? Is she just going to be some quiz show question? That’s not how Maya wants to be on Jeopardy. Pacing in her room, she hears her phone vibrate.

Maya picked up her phone and saw twenty missed calls, ten of which were from Elyssa. Her mother congratulated her for snagging not only a nice man but a rich one. Her little brother Michael said to call him, he needs to talk to this man who has her out all over the place. Her two older brothers said the same thing but told her that they won’t recognize him as a brother in law unless he passes a few tests. There were increasingly frantic texts from the bride demanding to know the following:

Why she brought a celebrity to her wedding?

Why she was trying to sabotage her?

Is it because the entire time she’s dated Michael, Maya’s always been alone?

Did you go into debt paying him to come with you?

Or is this how you were able to afford coming out to the wedding in the first place?

“What the hell are they all talking about about Dieter is not…he’s…well. Maybe…” Her conviction is wavering but she can’t stay with Dee. She has work, a life, but the last few days have been nothing short of wonderful. “And last night was…”

“I thought between last night and this morning things were great, superb even. Am I wrong?” Strolling in her room wearing a pair of navy boxer briefs that hung just below the swell of his tummy, Dieter crossed his arms watching Maya stop her pacing. She looked up at him, feeling embarrassed, frustrated, pissed and if she was honest with herself, happy. Unable to meet his gaze, she kept her eyes on her phone, re-reading Elyssa’s texts. Dieter peered over her shoulder and clicked his tongue. “She really has nothing better to do then text you that? That woman is insufferable. I’d feel bad for your little brother if it didn’t sound like he was threatening me too. Doesn’t he know I have a goat?”

Wrapping his arms around her, Maya her initial laugh turned into a sigh and leaned back against Bravo’s chest. “They’re just worried, though they don’t need to be.”

“Is that what you call it? I’d say they’re over-protective. And Elyssa is being a bitch with those questions. Anyway, forget all that, sit down.” Dieter tugs her over to the bed and has Maya sit across his lap with her legs to one side. She tried to stand up, but she still got his strong arms wrapped around her. “We need to talk cariño (sweetheart.)”

“I know. I’ll go to the hotel. Things should blow over right?” Still looking at her phone, thumbing through her Instagram. There are mostly curious comments, a few mean and racist ones, a couple others were congratulatory. Bravo takes her phone and tosses it on the bed. “Dee, what the hell?” Finally, she’s looking at him, with surprise and fear on her face.

“I know you’re scared Almond Joy. I also know you never asked for any of this, to be associated which a guy who’s known for fucking up everything he touches except for easels, scripts and KitKats.” A kiss to her shoulder has her stiffen, then relax. “I also…don’t want you to leave.” Maya’s watching his eyes again. They look the same as last night, burrowing within her.

“I can’t. You know I can’t. I’m not like you Dieter.” Shutting her lids tight is the only way not to be drawn in by his cocoa pools. Putting an arm around his shoulder, her hand lands on his back where she’s scratched him.

“I know you’re not Maya. That’s part of what makes you so majestic. The trust you have in me, the fun, some other things you might still have in you.” Her fingers pinched his cheek.

“Be serious! I’m not built for that type of scrutiny Dee and we’re not even toget-“

“But what if we were? Together? I mean it’s pretty muddled but you snap me back in to focus. We can just date. I’m not saying you have to stay here, we just see each other when we can. Video calls and I’ll come see where you live and-“

“You’ll tell me it’s beneath me and I need to be somewhere else because I only live once or something right?” The quick peck to his lips paused his thoughts. “Is that what our relationship becomes? Calls and visits? I…” Maya laments, she just has to say it, but she can’t. “Just let me go. I can’t…” Slipping out of Dieter’s arms, she steps away from him only to be in front of the same mirror from last night. Where he showed her how beautiful he believes her to be. Her hands are in her face again. She’s frightened but he’s thinks it’s not only the prospect of being on display for people.

Instead of approaching her from behind Bravo stands in front of her, “Ahora relájate y deja que cuide de ti (Relax now and let me take care of you).” Dieter places his hands on hers and moves them, she allows him to without a fuss. Her eyes are closed and there are tears at the edges, his lips wipe them away. “Let me. I’m not saying you’ll be a kept woman. You know that’s not what I mean. Just be honest with me, like you were last night. Tell me what you want.”

Maya knows he’s giving her a huge opening. She’s been fighting what she wants. She told herself it’s just for now, and then it was until the wedding was over. But Dieter’s offering it to her, why can’t she just say it?! “I..I…want. I want to stay with you. Be silly, wake up with you and do more fun things. Like the beach, swimming, brunch, just a drive. I don’t want to worry anymore. I’d like…” Dieter places his forehead against Maya’s as her tears fall. He doesn’t wipe them away this time. Just lets her continue. “I’d like to be fussed over, just some. Not in a weird dominating way but like…a soft way. Like am I okay, do I need anything, does that feel good, would you like more, do you even like that, what do you want to do today, what are your favorite foods and colors…Ugh…that was way too much. I can’t-“

“No. You can Maya. Be greedy. Ask for my time. Tell me to give you all you want. I don’t know if I can but I can damn well try. Mi mujer perfecta (My perfect woman).” He kisses her forehead and cups her face with his large hands. Her eyes are red and puffy. “I’ll say it again. I don’t want you to go Kit Kat. Just stay and worry about yourself. Please.”

“I feel like I’m watching a romance film right now. My, my…It looks like we won’t need to manufacture a real relationship between the two of you.” A woman of about five feet seven inches with auburn hair and matching butterfly tattoos on each arm. She wore a sleeveless navy blue slim fit dress with black red bottom heels. Her red tote bag swayed with her steps toward the couple. “Sorry to interrupt darlings, such a sweet moment, but we need to go ahead and decide how we want the chips to fall.” She smiled, patting Maya’s shoulder, studying her wet face. This Maya is cute, she almost wants to pinch her cheek. That didn’t matter much, what would matter is what these two decided to do. “My name is Vanessa. I’m the leader of Dieter’s PR team. Meet me downstairs when you two are dressed, don’t take too long. There’s much to discuss.” The fixer disappeared out of the room and back down the stairs to Zack, it looks like there was a lot he left out in his updates.

Back downstairs, Zack was being questioned by Vanessa after she peeked in on Dieter and Maya. She found out that Dieter had invited Maya on his jet after her flight was canceled. Since then, they’d grown closer and outside of one small sniff of a seat (Zack left out that it was coke on Maya’s seat - told her it was ecstasy). He also told her about Oscar’s fights with Dieter and the goat bite. Vanessa said she was aware of that one not the guitar one though. She said that she would table the idea of using Oscar in that manner, instead, why was Maya coming to Hawaii in the first place. Zack then remembered it was for a wedding, though who knows what’s happening with it now. From what he’s gathered, the bride, Maya’s future sister in law sounds like an asshole and crazy. Vanessa was making notes in a small pad she removed from her tote. “A plan is brewing Zack. You’ll need to actually keep me informed instead of pieces of information.”

”Yes ma’am. It’s just…Ms. Maya is really nice and Dieter seems somewhat sane with her. As sane as he’s going to be. It’s nice. No woodwind or brass instruments so far this week. I don’t know what his deal with the instruments is either. So weird. Or crazy parties. And I haven’t seen any toys askew but they could have just cleaned up which is still pretty nice and-“” Zack paused. “Just see how they are with each other, you’ll see.”

Soon Maya and Dieter came downstairs fully dressed, Maya in a simple pink dress, flowing with wide sleeves and skirt. She’d cleaned her face but it was slightly red around the eyes and ends of her ears. Dieter had on a pair of black shorts with a white tee and sunglasses on his head. They sat on the couch and held hands. Zack and Vanessa watched their body language, in addition to them holding hands, Maya was leaning onto his shoulder and their knees were touching. If…they were seen like this out and about and if someone for whatever reason did an interview with them, it would reflect well for Dieter. Despite actually marrying that woman Anika, their interactions (outside of what happened in their bedroom) reflected two people that weren’t comfortable with each other and were distant.

“Have you two decided what you want to do? It’s not really ideal for the start of any relationship, but at the very least we’ll be able to sell you two as being in a legitimate relationship.” With her white manicured nail, she drew an imaginary circle around the pair. “The way your two sit in silence with each other is excellent. I take it, a decision has been made?” Vanessa placed her elbow on the top of her bent knee.

Maya squeezed Dieter’s hand and nodded, letting him talk, “Yeah we have Nessa.”

Later that evening…

Oscar was not pleased, what he woke up to was mostly positive headlines about Dieter Bravo. How happy he looked, how content, was it because of the new woman in his life? Was it something else? Maybe he came to Hawaii to rest and recharge and that’s why he looks like he has not a care in the world. Issac’s plan had severely backfired, worse yet, his assistant informed him that he’d received a call from Vanessa La Roux’s office. Oscar is aware of who she is and has only one dealing with her before and that ended poorly, where he had to take a sabbatical afterward.

Hanri knocked on Oscar’s hotel room door, he’d done as his boss asked and felt horrible about it. He was dropping off his boss’ usual order of tequila and three bags of hot Cheetos that he likes to eat in the evening. He had been propositioned by Vanessa and happily agreed to get her in the hotel and a private meeting with Mr. Issac. After getting her in, he left her to it and headed back to his room with his money. Oscar heard the door and called for the young man to bring him his snack.

“Good evening Oscar. Hanri is otherwise occupied.” Vanessa tilted her head and smiled, setting a bottle of tequila and the bags of cheetos on the end of the actor’s bed. “We have quite a bit to discuss tonight. You’ll need to be sober for this. After we talk you can drown yourself in your choice of drink.” She pulled up a chair and sat across from Oscar who was naked except for a soft eggshell robe that was wrapped around him.

“I figured you’d pop up at some point you damn she-devil. I guess my fun’s over. How much do I need to pay you to leave your little goat lover alone this time?” He remarks as he sips his red wine, expecting an outrageous number from her. It’s not like he hadn’t paid Vanessa and Dieter’s team before. Oscar enjoyed pissing Bravo off by any means. Their business ran on public opinion and numbers - no matter if it was scores, awards, stars, money, age, you name it, it could have a number.

“No, no, no Oscar. You don’t get to just pay me this time. If it was just messing with Dieter, that’s one thing, but-“ Vanessa stood and snatched a bag of cheetos, ripping it so they spilled on the floor. “-you’ve not only been stalking him. Something you said you’d never do again, you also leaked pictures of him and his girlfriend, who hadn’t settled on being in the public eye yet and now she has to. No cheetos for you.” Grabbing a fist full of Oscar’s hair, she tugged on it. “You’re going to follow Dieter and Maya to the wedding and you’re going to do exactly as I tell you. Then we can talk about money and I can use it to fund another studio for Dieter.”

Sucking his teeth, Oscar nods and takes a swig of his tequila, the fixer lets go of his hair and extends her hand. They grip hands and shake, sitting back down. “What do I have to do jefa (boss)?” He attempted to touch her knee but she slapped her hand away. “Ahaha, You’re really serious aren’t you? Well jefa, that just makes the reward that much hotter doesn’t it?” His snicker has Vanessa shift her weight from side to side.

Looking over her shoulder, she sneered. “That was only one time. Don’t test your luck Issac. I’ll be in touch.” She walks out leaving him to his late night snack. “You know you’re too old to be drinking like that, it was that same tequila that got you and Dieter on a lifetime ban from The Muppets.”

Oscar smiled as he stood and walked up behind Vanessa. Not touching her, just leaning over her shoulder to meet her face a few inches away. “I don’t recall you saying that in the green room when I had my Count cape on, and that wasn’t just one time. Unless you count it as one within a certain time period.” She exhaled and continued toward the door and Oscar followed her, but gave her more space, holding the door open for her. “I’ll take your ever so thoughtful advice mi jefa.” He takes a bow as she walks out.

On her way down to the car, Vanessa whips out her phone and texts Zack to tell Maya (as she’ll actually make sure Dieter’s on time) to ensure that they are at the dress rehearsal for the wedding on time tomorrow. Thankfully, it’s only some family stuff that Maya can skip and she mentioned after their talk that she would be having lunch with her mother.

The stage is prepared except for a few pieces here and there. This wedding rehearsal will be a vivid experience for all those in attendance. Vanessa was counting on it for Dieter’s sake, it was her job after all.

The Trash Panda Possse 🦝: @megamindsecretlair @pedritapascal @pascalsanctuary @nissaimmortal @angelofsmalldeath-codeine

@soft-persephone @saturn-rings-writes @readingiskeepingmegoing @harriedandharassed @yorksgirl @bishtrouille

@missladym1981

Chapter 5 Chapter 7

#dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo #dieter bravo fanfic #dieter bravo x ofc #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal #fanfiction #pedro pascal characters #Weddings 101 with Dieter

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starrystevie · 1 year ago

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hiya everyone! the month of june is a big one for not only myself personally but also for this blog so we'll be celebrating a few things:

my own birthday on june 24th!

reaching 2k followers! (which is still mind blowing where did y'all come from)

pride month!

now i may not be a gif maker or edit maker, but i do want to celebrate by interacting with you all in the ways i know how! i'm going to be hosting what i like to call "roll for...?", a mysterious way to get stranger things content from me for the rest of the month. starting today, june 13, you can send me in asks for things to roll for (just make sure you go over the rules before sending in an ask pls <3)

if you're interested in participating, click the read more for the rules!

how it works:

i'll have the following categories to pick from: drabble, playlist, or aesthetic/moodboard. pick one of those categories and then select up to 3 of the following subcategories for me to roll specifics for: ship, trope, vibe/colors, length, era, crossover. whatever subcategories go unchosen, i can use if i want to! each of the subcategories will have a few options in them that i will then roll for to leave the final product up to the luck of the roll. if needed, any additional details will be left up to me! if you would like it to be entirely my pick, please select 3 ships listed below for me to choose from and i will take it from there. warning, some categories will be easier for me to combine than others (ie vibe with crossover might be challenging) so please take every post with a grain of salt. this is all just for fun. these will be posted as i can get them done, so feel free to send in asks whenever you want to! i will stop accepting asks for this project on june 30th but will probably still have things to post after that. all posts will be tagged with #rollfor2023 to help keep things organized.

important to know!:

if you have any triggers or things you wouldn't want to me to include, please let me know what to avoid. i'll honor it no questions asked. all drabbles will be rated anywhere from general to mature with absolutely zero explicit smut unless you tell me you are comfortable with it being included. overcommunicate with me and we'll both be happy campers!

subcategory specifics:

ship: 1. steve/eddie, 2. robin/nancy, 3. robin/chrissy, 4. jonathan/argyle, 5. joyce/hopper, 6. bee's pick of steve ship (platonic or romantic) trope: 1. enemies to lovers, 2. friends to lovers, 3. one bed, 4. the italicized 'oh', 5. soulmates, 6. bee's pick of shop au vibe/colors: 1. whimsical/pastels, 2. angst/dark muted, 3. hopeless romantic/soft pinks, 4. cheerful/bright & bold, 5. bittersweet/blues & greys, 6. angry/dark reds length (around a certain word/song count): 1. 100-300 words/3 songs, 2. 300-500 words/5 songs, 3. 500-750 words/8 songs, 4. 750-1000 words/10 songs, 5. 1000-1500 words/15 songs, 6. bee's pick era: 1. ancient greek, 2. 1980s, 3. modern/2020s, 4. 1800s wild west, 5. 1940s, 6. unspecified fantasy world timeline ala lotr or got crossover (all chosen from my favorites!): 1. moulin rogue, 2. across the universe, 3. bee's pick of disney movie, 4. grishaverse, 5. glee, 6. supernatural

an example ask (can copy / paste if you'd like!):

i would like a drabble with a roll for ship, length, and crossover. avoid character death and mentions of drugs.

i hope this makes sense, so please let me know if you have questions! i'm truly just wanting to do something fun for the hell of it because isn't that we're all here for anyway?! rejoining the fandom side of tumblr this time last year has been such a great decision. i've been able to meet so many of you wonderful people and remember what it's like to enjoy fandom spaces again without shame. best of all, it's gotten me writing again, which had been such a big part of my hobbies that i had pushed aside. getting back into writing as a way to express myself and make content with some fucking guys from some fucking tv show has made a massive difference in my happiness over the last year.

i thank you all so sincerely for being with me along the ride. tagging some of my beloved buds here in no possible order because if it weren't for y'alls support, i never would have written half the things i have. thank you from the bottom of my heart, truly <3

@buckleydiaz @thefreakandthehair @yournowheregirl @scoops-stevie @gothbat99 @bayouteche @toburnup @stevethehairington @judasofsuburbia @henderdads @sharpbutsoft @kkpwnall @figthefruitfaeth @fastcardotmp3 @fragilecapric0rnn @wynnyfryd @stargyles @jeysuso @bitchsteve @lovespiralls @riality-check @cheatghost @legitcookie @hellsfireclub @sanguineterrain @kingofscoops @roykentt @sidekick-hero

#rollfor2023 #i was going to wait to post this but nah i wanted to go ahead and do it now #especially since i'm all anxious waiting for my bigbang claim email #love literally all of you sm thank you for maki ng tumblr fun #pls ignore any spelling errors but don't ignore if something doesn't make sense so i can clear it up #steddie #ronance #buckingham #jargyle #jopper #stranger than things #stranger things prompts

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bluntforcespatter · 8 days ago

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yeeeah i get that a bit more than i'd like to lol. 'm sorry it's like that for you tho /gen n yeah. it's def easier to just be some little electronic beastie than imagine myself to be properly tangible for anyone. i'm real like a digital pet or smthn, ig is my personal like...thoughts on it. ppl like those cuz they're cute, so they like me because i'm just a lil critter ywy. but if i'm more real and like....more than just words then like it becomes "what if i'm [neg thing here]" like i said, ik all of that's not entirely true, just kinda a ramble of like. getting it in my own ways lol, even if it might not be the most sensical way of putting it edtfbh n i get what you mean! i've watched/played/read stuff like that before. it's a weird sorta cathartic pain, so it's nice in a way. it sounds really good :3 thank you ywy hopefully yours does too. no problem o7 i get it n i'm glad it helps a bit for me to ramble n stuff ywy i always worry it's a bit much or annoying or w/e, so it's nice to hear [read?] that it's actualy helpful gtrfh - 📺

ah, thank you (ᵕ—ᴗ—) all we can do is our best, though, so... i am trying? ¯\_(ᵕ—ᴗ—)_/¯

and SO TRUE !! i spent my childhood online. like i was on forums and shit when i was 6 ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;)⁭ ⁭i was in a very very bad situation and escaping onto the internet made me feel better. i could pretend not to be from my home there. but so many years spent on the internet without anything in real life that was good really made me worse in a lot of ways - like ... the internet was the only place people ever listened to me, let alone interacting with me out of choice. in my home, i wasn't treated as a person. my parents didn't even really use my name, the name they gave me, until i was older. but online people would say "hi ghost! how was your day?" and it made me feel real. but now i feel more real online than offline... and if i am real IRL, then that means all the bad stuff that happened to me IRL did happen. so i just sort of mentally shut it all down and i wish i wasn't this way but my brain is protecting itself or something. that's what i'm told anyways.

i miss quotev i practically lived there. most of my system THRIVED there, with the RP groups we could pretend to be in character and then just be ourselves, people would address us as ourselves and it was so affirming and it felt amazing to finally exist and matter to someone. we have an alter who is basically all digital, so we often see ourselves like a little sprite traveling through 0s and 1s and pixels out into the wide web !! it's fun but sometimes very lonely.

so i totally get what you're saying. if you were a tamagotchi i would put you on a keychain and take you out and about !! digital friends ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

cathartic pain !! yes !!! it's nice to remind yourself that it hurts - remind yourself you're still here, you still are feeling and alive, you did experience things that you carry around with you... i am very dissociative unfortunately so i relish anything that makes me feel again. most of the time i feel like a fuzzy static CRT TV...

and thank you (o^▽^o) im going to try to have a good evening. i think i can do it. im going home today (was at my roommates mum's to visit, she gets lonely) and im excited to go home and relax !! you're certainly not being too much or annoying. i only get annoyed by actually irritating things. like frustration at ignorance or injustice... i am always yelling on my blog that anyone can come yap anytime about anything because i like to listen. a pain shared is half a burden, a happiness shared is twice the joy !! (* ^ ω ^) hopefully you make time today to do something self indulgent . it's important to take time to do stuff that feeds your soul . or whatever that sounds cheesy but i hope you know what i mean !!!

#we switched a lot typing this oof ow ow oof . im too lazy to go bavk and fix everyone elses typing quirks >:{#☆ 📺 anon ☆#☆ asks ☆#☆.txt #☆ arc en ciel ☆

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haejaetae-recs · 2 years ago

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Favorites

(All fics tagged here!)

Here I've compiled some of my favorite works by some of my favorite writers. I'll add a lot more detail to this masterlist including brief descriptions and my input as found in my reblogs.

Also, if you happen to enjoy their work as well, please support them however you can!

← Back

༺♡༻

Quarantine Chronicles by @domjaehyun | Jaehyun, Johnny, Jungwoo, Jaemin, Mark, Jeno, Haechan | 3 pts. 126.7k total | M | roommates au, fwb, uni au

Fourteen days, five roommates, and five remarkably high sex drives. what could go wrong?

I'm obviously a Jaehyun simp but while reading this, I found myself so immersed in the other characters as well (especially Jaemin OOF he's such a freak 😭). Part 1 is basically 20k word long filth smut LOL so like I always say, be warned!

Pussy Fiend by @domjaehyun | Haechan | 2 pt. 68.9k total | M | roommates au, fwb, f2l, some dubcon be warned, uni au

The title truly does explain it all lol. Another @domjaehyun hit. The dynamics not only between HC and MC but all the roommates *muah*. The tension: outstanding. The smut??? *cries*. Yeah, this fic deserves the hype. Part 2 is a must-read.

Bitch Hunters by @tyonfs | Dream '00 line | 4 part series | M

huang renjun, lee jeno, lee donghyuck, and na jaemin are determined to have girlfriends by the end of their college years, but that’s easier said than done when they’re known as the biggest players on campus.

besties (gone sexual) by @tyonfs | Jaemin | 43.4k | M | best friends, fwb2l, slowburn

The final (and longest) installation of the bitch hunters series. Each part is a different dream 00 line member and can be read separately, although they are all a part of the same au. I do recommend reading the prologue found in the series masterlist first!

Na Jaemin, resident playboy and serial heartbreaker on campus, thinks he might have a crush on you [, his] best friend of seven years...

I could say so much about this fic series. I'm lowkey attached to every Tyonfs character I've ever read about. I loved every part, but Jaemin's hit especially hard, probably because of the length (that's what she said). It's not only the amazing story between Jaemin and his girl, but also expands the au so much and brings it to life. The ending made me feel like I was watching the finale of the last season of a TV show. So so good. Like I said, the parts can be read separately, but they're stronger when read in order. <3

Use Me by @yutaholic | Taeyong | 19k | M | bbf

You've had a crush on Taeyong, your brother’s best friend, for as long as you can remember, a crush made worse by the fact he’s completely off-limits. When Taeyong suddenly confesses you haven’t been alone in your feelings, you start sneaking around to be together, risking it all not to get caught.

One of my favorite Taeyong fics of all time *chef's kiss*. I love that the story is so heavy on the mc's life and development without taking too much away from the romance.

no one wishes at the snow by @neoculturetravesty | Jaehyun | 18k | M | fake marriage, single parent

Marrying for love was for the fortunate few. Marrying for love happened in fairytales and movies and dramas. Not real life. In real life, everyone married for convenience.

<Husband Jaehyun3 <3 So unique and well-written! If you're looking for a really good fic to take you on an emotional ride, this is the one!

cat & mouse by @tyonfs | Jaemin | 17.7k | M | uni au, fwb, brother's best friend, athlete/sports

rule number one of bro code states that sisters are completely off-limits, and, y/n, we just pushed that limit.

This fic is perfection, honestly. Idk why I didn't add it to this list sooner, seeing as the series was one of the first things I rb'd on this blog.

this is (not) easy. by @mrkis | Mark | 13.2k | M | uni au, fwb, bffs2l

Getting into a friends with benefits situation with your all time best friend was so (not) easy...

This is why I love the fwb trope so much. Angsty but not too angsty, and the smut scene where he makes love to y/n before trying to end things/confess. UGH. Big D Mark 4ever <3

Freaks by @2jaeh | Jaehyun | 8k | M | uni au, social difference, cheating

The campus bad girl has her eyes set on the preppy good boy, and she always gets what she wants...

Freaks: The Prequel by @2jaeh | Ten, Taeyong | 11.8k | M | uni au, fwb, revenge, 3some, mxm

A story of why the entire campus were almost certain that you Taeyong and Ten were in a poly affair.

I adore the dynamic between TaeTenY/n, and I enjoyed reading Jae's internal struggle not only with his feelings toward mc but also with himself!!! Tbh, I get second lead syndrome from TY even though he's not meant to be a second lead, so I find myself gravitating towards the prequel, haha. 3 biases, one au. Really does it for me.

Playing the Game by @sluttyten | Taeyong | 11.7k | M | uni au, fwb, f2l, just a tiny bit angsty

Taeyong’s been your best friend for a few years now, but sometimes it gets a little hard to just be his friend. you’re at university and there’s no better time to blur that line between friends and a little bit more, to make your lives just that much more messy.

Friends helping friends ahahah... I love his character in this a little too much and reread this fic when I'm having Taeyong brainrot. Perpetually in my TY era.

Pretty Boy by @ncteez | Mark | 9.3k | M | social differences

[Upon] realizing your grades have dropped drastically due to [your] lifestyle, you have no choice but to approach Mark for help.

Hot nerd trope gets me weak in the knees every time LOL especially when the smut is this good *chef's kiss*

Mine too by @waithyuck | Haechan, Jaehyun | 7.5k | M | poly, mxm, 3some

Despite being in a consensual poly relationship with you and Jaehyun, Haechan is reluctant to touch you. You start to think he doesn't care for you until something switches in him after one steamy night...

My ults in a poly fic l- this was meant for me to find. Read this one multiple times and I think about it a lot because it exposed me to poly mxm and literally changed me LOL. Also, I loveeee how there's this sense of tenderness and fondness underneath the pure lust and desire between hc and mc.

In Your Arms by @sluttyten | Jaehyun, Mark | 6.5k | M | uni au/frat, fwb, are we seeing a trend with me and fwb fics???, 3some, a lil mxm, Halloween

(Part of the author's kinktober) Mark finds out you've been secretly hooking up with his and your other best friend, Jaehyun; Mark has a secret(s) of his own.

“Are you two not fucking? I thought this was an all three of us kind of thing?” THAT LINE ALMOST TOOK ME OUT I SWEAR LMAO. I keep coming back to this one ngl. The dynamics are just so unique and well done and I'm a sucker for service top Markie hehe <3

Still wondering how long those two had been at it tho... 🤔

late night driving by @jjsneo | Chenle | 5.6k | M | roommates

Chenle swears he’s going going crazy with cabin fever inside your shared house — and there’s no way you’re saying no to a late night drive with the roommate you so desperately have a crush on. who cares if his original story was a lie and, secretly, he just wanted to be alone with you.

DAMN. Chenle smut is so scarce around here, but THIS alone makes up for that, lol. I love how sweet it started out. The smut part lowkey caught me by surprise. Once again DAMN. Please read this.

amortentia (the room smells like absolute shit) by @tonicandjins | Haechan | 2.8k | hogwarts au, e2l-ish, cute stuff ♪(´ε｀*)

It’s no secret that the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between you and Slytherin House’s very own Lee Donghyuck remains unceasing from the day you and him were sorted five years ago to this day...

At the time of me reading this, I'm playing Hogwarts Legacy and am OBSESSED. On top of that, I'm a Ravenclaw, and this whole blog's aesthetic is inspired by HP (hence the dark academia). Anyway, this was really cute, and I love school crush tropes, especially when it's paired with enemies to lovers, I just- *sigh* Having knowledge of the series definitely makes this more enjoyable, as I was imagining everything happening and the surroundings.

#nct fic recs #fav!!!#haejaetae-recs navi #nct fic rec blog #nct 127 fic #nct dream fic #nct 127 fic recs #nct dream fic recs

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elskamo · 4 months ago

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Dafuq is happening with Ron? The Masterpost!

Hey all, sorry it's taking me a while to update you properly about what's going on IRL. There is... a lot that's been happening and some of it has taken me awhile to wrap my head around and figure out how to explain so please bare with me.

If you just want to know what's happening with my various blogs and accounts (on Tumblr that'd be this blog right here and @official-fresh-tv-blog) then feel free to skip to "My Fandom Situation" at the end of the post (hence the Total Drama tag attached). At some point I'll be updating the abouts on both blogs so if you CBA to read this then you can at least get a vague idea of what's changed when those update. You may also be able to kinda twig one of the main announcements from the tags as well.

I'm gonna put all this shit under the cut because it is LONG. As always if I forget to tag something please let me know so I can add it ASAP. And if you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask me outright.

My Health Situation

As I've mentioned before both my physical and mental health are utter shite that I barely get any help with. I have very little recollection of my childhood, especially before age 8 or so, as an adult when it comes to my dissociation I only lose a couple of days memory at most. Despite this I recently lost two whole months of my memory, hence my disappearance around late April/early May to late June/early July.

A couple of weeks ago I was finally able to speak to a doctor on video call about my mental health and to get a clearer picture on what my dissociation actually is. Given my background and anecdotal evidence from friends (but not family because they notice absolute fuck all) I'm pursuing a more up to date diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder which the doctor agreed is likely (as well as FINALLY getting an official C-PTSD diagnosis). In total honesty I've had my suspicions since around 2018/19 when friends started mentioning suspicious changes in my behaviour and voice as well as my apparent use of a completely different name at one point.

When I finally started interacting with other people who dissociate within the Total Drama fandom during the lockdown in 2020 I realised what might be happening and kept telling myself to reach out to other users but I was far too scared to say anything due to my own lack of knowledge on DID and Dissociation in general and my confusion about how I could possibly not know for so long. If there are any users with DID that are willing to reach out I'd really appreciate it, especially as I'm getting used to the various terminology and figuring out how to interact with the rest of the system, most of which understandably ignore me for the most part given some of my previous shitty and ignorant behaviour and reluctance to get properly diagnosed.

I still haven't told the family I am in touch with simply because they don't particularly give a shit about my mental health, they tend to just assume they know what's going on and run with that. The fact that zero people in my family noticed anything strange when other people around me did also put me off saying anything, right now I'm planning to wait until I have an official diagnosis but I may say something sooner.

I'm waiting on two appointments, one with the same doctor to catch up in September and one with a psychologist who'll have a deeper understanding of trauma and Dissociative issues. I'm also waiting to start new meds as mine have been completely overhauled, this means I'm currently having withdrawal symptoms coming off the old ones and when the new ones are finally ready I'll likely be a bit erratic for the first few weeks due to the side effects. Apologies in advance, I promise several people IRL have been informed and will be keeping an eye on me to make sure I'm okay until the meds kick in properly.

Following my two month memory lapse I also had Covid for the majority of July and am still kinda foggy now, which explains the rest of my absence. I'm not entirely sure what my physical health is like due to having lost my memory but my chronic pain doesn't seem to be flaring up at the moment at least, that being said I was having major problems with my chronic pain prior to my two month dissociative period.

On the plus side of things I finally have an appointment booked with a new NHS gender identity clinic in London so that I can get assessed to start Testosterone therapy! At the moment it's tentatively booked in for September 3rd however I've been told they may be able to move it to a different time slot if they can find one with one of their newer staff given how difficult it'll be for me to travel up there for the early morning (for context it takes about 3 hours to get to London from where I am in Dorset and another 3 hours to get back, most of the appointment slots are at 8 or 9am!)

My Home Situation

Absolute fuck all has changed with my home situation. I'm still stuck at the house where I was previously abused a lot and am not currently in a position where I can find a new place or move in with someone else. A couple of friends have offered to let me sofa surf back and forth between them if needed but I have no immediate long term plans.

I found out a couple days ago that Damien decided to make a post on my behalf venting about my home situation which I will now be deleting. Essentially while everyone in the household caught Covid last month my relationship with my Mum swung back to being quite abusive again and she threatened to kick me out. That being said, I will acknowledge she has genuinely been trying to understand my situation and be a better mother towards me since I became homeless the first time around back in 2018 and no physical abuse has taken place since then.

Right now it appears I'm safe but at the time Damien posted there appeared to be a very high chance that I was going to be kicked out and have nowhere to live. My mum hasn't brought up her threats again since Damien's vent post so hopefully we still have somewhere to stay for the time being.

My Money Situation

Leading on from my home situation, my money situation has worsened drastically. As many of you know I've been fighting a losing battle for years attempting to get my disability benefits back and since being made redundant twice I've been living solely off of the single component of Universal Credit which amounts to less than £400 a month to cover all my living expenses. My housing benefit is gone until I'm able to leave Mum's and I'm still waiting for my appeal to get the unfit for work/sick portion of my Universal Credit back.

My mum refuses to budge on the amount of money that I pay her to stay each month and she has recently been getting me to pay for more frivolous expenses like multiple takeaways because she hasn't been buying enough groceries and being ill has left the three of us unable to cook. Factor in other expenses like transport to get to appointments, the most basic phone bill I can get away with, and unexpected emergencies like my tech breaking and I'm no longer able to cover my living expenses at all and no longer have any savings money left to cushion the blow.

I'm now at a point where I'm in my overdraft every month and resorting to begging friends for loans to keep me afloat so I don't get charged. The situation with my health has not helped with being able to find work, either freelance or a permanent role, so unless I'm able to get money from things like my Ebay, Etsy, or Redbubble stores I don't have anything else coming in that can help me cover my most basic needs.

I'm doing my best to get back on track with job hunting as both the job centre and the local Restart program I've been forced to go onto are insisting I need to be applying for a certain amount of jobs per week and attending regular face to face appointments with them otherwise they'll take away my benefits. I've almost finished updating my CV and website and have a mandatory job fair I've been told to go to on Wednesday so hopefully I can find work again soon, but given my health situation and the fact that I shouldn't actually be working this may still be very difficult.

I know I post about this a lot and many of you have your own financial struggles but please if you're able to, donate to my Ko-Fi page or buy something from one of my stores. Even if you're not able to help me directly just sharing them with your friends/followers can make a huge difference!

My Fandom Situation

You may have noticed by now that my Etsy store has been closed for a few months and I've gone back to posting a lot more infrequently on my Tumblr, DeviantArt, and Archive of our Own accounts. I've also been letting asks pile up in my inbox. I'm attempting to catch up on my fandom stuff as fast as I can but obviously I'll be doing this around all the IRL stuff I'm dealing with.

For some reason a lot of the asks and messages I've been receiving have been straight up disappearing, right now I only have one ask on each blog and one private message to my knowledge, everything else has somehow gone. If when I post answers to both asks you don't see yours answered please feel free to send it again and I'll get to it as soon as I can! If it's something I'm not comfortable answering I'll say so outright so you know that I did receive and view your ask.

I have a massive backlog of fics and art I'm trying to finish off and post, again I'll get to these as and when I can before starting on any new projects. I've been keeping a spreadsheet of all the smaller pieces I want to work on for people to vote on once I've cleared my backlog. My larger projects will take a little (okay, a lot) more time to post.

I'll only be reopening my Etsy store once I'm certain I've got a handle on my health, as usual I'll only be accepting a few orders at a time and keeping the prices fairly cheap so they're more affordable for people that want to buy. As always, Redbubble is always active as is my Ebay account, though there are still a few products I need to update or upload on both platforms that aren't on there yet. If there's any art you'd like me to prioritise adding for you to purchase on Redbubble please feel free to reach out and let me know.

I'm going to be updating the about posts on both my Tumblr blogs soon to better reflect what they're for and who is posting. I'm currently planning on making the Ronnie Rambles tag my personal one instead of using it just to show which posts have been queued up ahead of time. The two alters that I've talked to will definitely have their own tags as well though I have no idea how often they'll be posting.

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lilacs-and-lavenders · 5 months ago

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Experimenting with different games to see which ones interest me. I got SF6 and it's fun watching CPU Kimberly beat up pl1. Love all the colors. It's nice seeing something different for a change on my TV screen. Refreshing even looking at something that isn't laced with terrible memories. 👏🏽

Having a bit of a difficult time staying in FF, though. Yes I am going to be playing when the DT expansion releases but I don't know how often. I'm just too annoyed by the other players when I log in. They don't really bother me at all but...idk...I guess all of my bad memories of the toxic fake friends I met ruined the overall atmosphere and feel of the game for me as well as my view of people as a whole so I have a love/hate relationship with it. Affwcted me more than I thought. Traumatic memories. Ugh. I love seeing my WoL though but I cant bring myself to log in much which is why I created them in Sims 4. It also gets incredibly lonely since no one really talks to each other especially if you aren't in their friend group/clique. And I am obviously not good at making friends despite my best efforts. They always end the same. Trauma. Trauma. And more trauma. I honestly don't know what I was expecting from an MMO. I got a little to ambitious with wanting to branch out try new things. 😅 I'm going to stick around to the very end of the game whenever that is ofcourse. I obviously can't quit because of my houses which sucks because I am losing all drive to play it. BUT whenever it does finally end, goodbye FFXIV. I'm dipping out. Deuces.✌🏼

I think I am just wanting something new. A change of pace. But it is so hard to find games that interest me and counter my low attention span. I mostly like idle games now and mobile stuff. I love Sims 4 despite it's flaws but do wish that it still had a lot of the elements that Sims 3 did like cars and an open world. They also really need to optimize it because the latency issues are a pain in the ass. 😭

I have a bunch of other games on backlog that I might try out. I don't have the patience for long-winded storylines anymore let alone long games like the new AC Creeds bleh. I don't like overly grinding stuff, either. And I don't want anything that's an online multiplayer. Just...no. FF drained me.🤦🏽‍♀️

I do have other hobbies like writing, drawing, and photography. We'll photography on my phone since I don't have a professional camera. Also blogging obviously. I've changed blogs so many times on here. 🤣

tldr: MMOs are not for me and most of the FF players drained me and killed the game for me due to their toxicity and need to want to manipulate and take advantage of others. It's sad. Looking for newer games to play that strike my fancy and keep my attention. I love idle games and stuff like Sims 4. Well...games that allow me to design my own character. I don't like overly long games and grindy gameplay. Too stressful and draining. Have other hobbies, too. I get bored of things easily.

Oh! I wanted to add this note in, too. On the days when I don't play. I feel so much more relaxed. So that speaks volumes there. I'll stick with my single player games. They're so chill now. 😎❤️

#gaming problems #gaming #gaming stuff #ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy 14 #street fighter 6 #sims 4 #i got a low attention span and get stressed easily #so I have to find stuff that soothes me #low attention span #bored easily

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velaralilas · 1 year ago

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an onryo main talks about the onryo rework

(behavior interactive)

the time has finally come! Sadako finally got an update in DBD and im here to talk about it.

overall, these changes are amazing. i think after this update is released, Sadako will finally move up the killer tier list (though she will always be S tier in my heart ♡ ). though i dont play killer all that much anymore, i still find myself going back and making sure i still got it.

i will be going over each point from behaviors blog post individually to ease confusion- also, they talk about reworking her add-ons as well but didnt disclose which ones they were working on.

projection

Projecting to a TV now applies ¾ of a stack of Condemned to all Survivors not carrying a Cursed Tape (was 1 stack to nearby Survivors).

this is the only one i don't understand why they changed it. i think keeping the projecting stack at 1 is fine- as it doesn't affect survivors unless you're projecting constantly. i do like that now it affects all survivors instead of those around the tv you project to.

The time a TV is disabled after The Onryo Projects to it has been reduced to 70 seconds (was 100 seconds). This can be further reduced using Add-ons.

THANK YOU BHVR OMG. this has been a needed change for a while. even if it was reduced to 80-85 i would have been happy. waiting so long for a tv to turn back on is frustrating, especially if you know survivors are working on a gen near that specific tv.

The time a TV is disabled after a Survivor removes the Cursed Tape has been increased to 90 seconds (was 60 seconds).

THANK YOU AGAIN BHVR. it never made sense (to me) why survivors turning off tvs had them off shorter than when you projecting to them. this also provides some sense of security to survivors working on gens and reduces the amount of time they have to work on turning tvs off.

Projection now has a 15 second cooldown. Since there is no longer a range limit on the Condemned effect, we need to limit how frequently this can happen.

am i upset about this? yes, but also no. my play-style doesnt include me teleporting constantly, but having a cooldown is nice to have so you can plot where to project next.

cursed tapes

Getting hit with a Basic Attack while carrying a Cursed Tape will apply one stack of Condemned.

WHERE WAS THIS WHEN SADAKO DROPPED?? THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. and now carrying a tape is so much more lethal than it was before.

When a Survivor carrying a Cursed Tape is hooked, all other Survivors gain one stack of Condemned and the Tape is destroyed.

JKFHAOFHAOHFIU AGAIN WHERE WAS THIS???? the tape being destroyed is also nice, since when survivors get unhooked they run to get rid of their tape.

Holding a Cursed Tape no longer passively builds Condemned.

hot take: this shoudnt have been in the game in the first place. most survivors keep the tape until they're at 6 stacks then get rid of it anyway (its me. im survivors.)

Cursed Tapes can now be placed in any TV other than the one they were retrieved from.

thats all. i just want to be outplayed by survivors. though i can understand why they had the original mechanic in the game originally. this also provides a sense of safety if multiple survivors are working on a gen.

demanifistation

The Onryo can no longer be stunned while Demanifested.

i have to see how this works before i place a final judgement on it. do we just eat the palette? do we walk through it? LIKE WHAT HAPPENS?????

Chases are prevented when Demanifested, making it more difficult to keep track of The Onryo’s position.

this is the same as other stealth killers (wraith), so i have no real issue with this change. its also nice that survivors wont know you're there due to the chase music playing

Demanifesting now removes Bloodlust, similar to other Killer Powers.

again, its the same as other killers, so i dont really care about this one.

this rework is amazing! i cant wait for this to go live. i might have to stop playing survivor when it does. one thing i want is more cosmetics but other than that this is everything i could ask for.

#dead by daylight #dead by daylight sadako #the onryo #essay-ish?#tw: opinions #i love sadako so much thank you bhvr for giving her buffs

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emosquitoes · 5 months ago

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Hello and welcome to my Vampire Chronicles sideblog! I'm primarily a book fan but am loving the TV show as well - will try to tag "books" and "show" for clarity. We try not to mention the films (sorry).

I read the books that had come out when I was a teenager (up to and including Blood Canticle) but never got further - now I'm rereading them all out loud with a friend which is slow but So rewarding, and maybe one day I'll get to and beyond Prince Lestat!

Finally started reading the Mayfair witches also so you might see liveblog posts about that

(General housekeeping: I love literary criticism but hate making myself miserable. If I could tag a blog with DD:DNR I'd consider it. We're not above disturbing the rest of the dead to ask if this or that pedophilic book moment added anything at all here, and also not above treating it fundamentally as fiction capable of being laughed at, ditto the incest. Absolutely 0 hard feelings if that's a trigger you don't want to stick around for - respect us both by following the Devil's Road elsewhere)

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culttvblog · 5 months ago

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Bugs: All Under Control

I know that I pride myself that everything I blog about here is cult TV, but in this post we are in proper cult TV territory, in fact a show I haven't long known about. Bugs (1995 to 1999)is not one of those shows that just everyone has watched, but has a definite cult following in the UK, with actual fans. I don't know whether it has much or any of an international following. In fact Bugs has been described as 'an Avengers for the nineties'.

Frankly I wish people would mostly stop comparing shows to The Avengers. It doesn't do, they don't usually compare, and it sets up an unrealistic expectation of what the show can come up with and places the show under unfair stress. Adam Adamant Lives is a show this has been done to, as is Virtual Murder, and both shows are quality entertainment in their own right and don't need comparing to anything else. However in the case of Bugs it's not just anyone describing it as the Avengers of the nineties, but it's Brian Clemens. Yes, that Brian Clemens, script writer, editor and producer of The (actual) Avengers, who had an input into this show. Holy cow, this show had the bloke who did The Avengers working on it. Of all the shows compared to The Avengers, this actually *is* as close as we'll get to The Avengers of The Nineties.

It's an action/adventure cum science fiction show about Gizmos, a team of crime-fighting technology experts. And so we have the witty dialogue, we have the fantastic technology, we have the sexual chemistry, we absolutely have the great and the good gone bad, and while the complete unreality has been toned down a bit, it has rather been transferred to the technology that features in the show. Oh, the technology that features in the show. I don't mean the fictional technology, I mean the technology of the nineties. Thirty years later this show might as well be set in 1960 because some of the technology looks so outdated it's like a trip down memory lane. Of course this wasn't intended at the time. My personal opinion is that it doesn't really matter that the sort of futuristic fictional technology depicted didn't really come to pass in most cases, because that aspect of the show can firmly be consigned to fiction. It's against a familiar nineties background, though.

One of the things which makes the background so nineties it that the show is shot with a very definite aesthetic in mind. Its palette is predominantly blues, and greys, with splashes of yellow or read in places. Essentially if you heap up a collection of vintage nineties computing equipment you would have exactly the aesthetic of this show and it's glorious.

Another interesting feature of this show is that it was impacted twice by IRA bombs during the tail end of the Troubles. Initially it was mostly filmed around the reveloped London Docklands with its futuristic appearance, but this was ended by the IRA bombing of the South Quay Plaza in 1996. Then the Omagh bombing in 1998 severely disrupted the broadcast of the final series. Truly of its time.

All Under Control is perhaps slightly different from the other episodes because it's about the team's investigation after a passenger aircraft is hijacked by remote control. Not to beat about the bush here, I love the dead nineties computer set up with a mouse that the hijacker uses to hijack the plane. Otherwise the episode is a great opportunity for filming outside the city, including obviously at an airport and also at the homes of the genius who designed the state-of-the-art navigation system of the plane. It's great stuff.

I have to say that the plots of Bugs episodes are fairly straightforward in the early episodes (I haven't got there yet but apparently in later episodes more human interest stuff starts intruding): basically they are presented with a problem, investigate it and find the solution. It's about as no-nonsense as you can get, while still having that Avengersesque/futuristic feel. I suspect this is the reason this show has a cult following: you'll either take to it or you won't, and personally I don't follow the plots too closely and just let it wash over me.

If I have a criticism it is that I think the episodes are possibly a little longer than they could be, at least in terms of plot. the good looks and nineties state of mind never gives up. I wouldn't go to the stake for this opinion though.

I have to say it is a pleasure to find a series which might actually have a claim to be a successor of The Avengers because of having Brian Clemens work on it and I recommend it very highly. I'd suggest starting at the beginning if you've not seen it because the fans seem to like the earlier ones better than the later ones.

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Archives from 2013 to September 2023 may be found at culttvblog.blogspot.com and there is an index to the tags used on the Tumblr version at https://www.tumblr.com/culttvblog/729194158177370112/this-blog

#90s tv #bugs

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sapphirecrook · 1 year ago

Text

[STORY] Call Me Fang - Chapter 1: Perish the thought

TUMBLR TEXT:

Might as well put some stuff on my blog, ammirite gamers?

Besides, my tumblr is my shame zone, and this stuff still has my head reeling.

Download (it looks nicer)

ORIGINAL:

I've been working on a retooling and restructuring of this. There's now two parallel things.

I should just draw some more. It beats the heck out of this planning.

I feel like I'm learning a lot, and it sucks and is tiring and more. Anyway, the core ideas have solidified. As in, I found the plot, the idea is set, what this IS is set in stone, and it's a story I think has at least some merit being told. However big or small that may be. At this point, however, finishing it is more of a 'prove it to myself' than something I want to do. If I seriously consider myself a writer, this is a thing that's gotta happen. What I want to do is something else. And will forever change. It is the way. To finish what you don't want, and learn, and refine, that's the ouch zone.

The parallel thing will be uploaded too. Because I like working on it.

-----

Regrets are a poor cleaning agent. But mistakes were made.

The last thing I remember is jumping in front of two bright headlights, on a miserable, cold, rainy evening. Further details elude me. Just me standing on the sidewalk, before I dart forwards, turn my head, and overbearing yellow beams blind me.

Then this lightness, a brightness, a tightness.

Such a stark difference from the obsidian towers with topaz pockmarks and endless clouds.

I have never been so acutely aware of my fleshy form before.

A searing wave crashing over, and I feel nothing.

I didn’t think myself capable of such reckless behavior. For all my flaws, throwing my life into the hands of fate has never been my style. My motivation must’ve been something fierce. If only I could remember.

No doubts over what must’ve happened.

Yet, despite the odds. I am alive.

I am sore all over, the sun is blasting me with heat, and the outfit I am wearing is both tighter than I’d like, and definitely a dark color. It’s soaking in those rays. Hell is a strange place, apparently, and opening my eyes only deepens the mysteries of hell.

I have a giant schnozz. My first question would be how one eats with this thing.

The second, if it is a standard feature.

The third, is if this belongs to someone else.

This is not my body.

Naturally, neither is the room. The place is well appointed. My leg, the only part still on the bed I seem to have fallen out of, confirms it is a comfortable bed. The blanket, half-wrapped around me, is light and nice. A giant TV is set into a closet, there’s paraphernalia and more. Mostly music posters, a string or two of polaroids, two guitars and more. I see make-up articles and the sense of repulsion, of not belonging, dawns on me.

I have invaded.

Did I, though?

With a grunt and a raise I position my head in an elevated position as to better survey the disaster zone the original inhabitant calls a room. There are clothes everywhere. I’m pretty sure that’s a half eaten sandwich, sans plate, on a wooden table. And at least two empty bowls.

It’s still better than my place.

The mirror is a good place to get a look at the meat puppet I am renting. It’s white? Maybe a very pale grayish blue? Feathers. Funky horn thing. Wings? Historically accurate pterodactyl?

Historically accurate PUNK pterodactyl, judging by the choice in clothing.

I match one of the ladies in the pictures.

Assuming they are ladies. I am unfamiliar with these species and their gender markers, or whatever similar designs exist here.

Some of my artisanal touch finally fades.

Exhausting my usual wordiness is a blessing. It is a time for thinking fast.

“Judging by the trees outside, wearing black is asking the sun for a scorching. Who am I to talk? I wore all black all summer! And what of you, oh, mirror maiden? Shan’t thou speaketh the name of thyself freely?” I poke the mirror, seeing the manicured claws. I examine them closer, which is when I hear sounds. An alarm is going off?

The alarm goes off at exactly 8 AM. The alarm being the soothing morning jingle of the 8 AM Pangea News. The humble tones of professional presenters make it clear nothing much has happened. The black and orange creature under the bedsheets lets off a short groan, and peeks out from under the sheets. The curtains kept out most of the sunlight, giving the place a spectral ambiance.

With a second groan, he’d get himself out of bed, adding a few solid stretches. Curtains were pulled aside, the sun let in. Since the room was on the south side, the sun never shone in directly, thus only allowing in the indirect light. It kept the place nice and cool, even in these hot summer months.

Actually, it’s winter, despite everyone calling it ‘Summer Break’.

And it’s hot all year round. Perks of the tropics.

The dark colored dinosaur hoisted himself into the laid out attire. Before being worn, it was folded onto top of his desk, jacket hung over the backrest of the desk chair. His hands would slide across the crest on his head and chin, to make the tiny adjustments to help his look come together. Without the ostentatious jacket, he’d definitely have a solid ‘business chic’ look. With the jacket, he looked far more casual, as a barrage of watermelon print tends to do to most articles of clothing.

Just how he liked it. Formal. But approachable. And icebreaker in the flesh.

“Looking good, triple president. It might be Fang’s senior year, but it’s my year to set new heights!” He winks at his reflection and does one final touch up on his crest. His hair was trimmed to the roots, only the faint discoloration remained. As such, his crest had to do all the heavy lifting to make his face pop. Together with his orange irises, there was this flow to it.

Even if he’s been told he looks like some cheap glow-in-the-dark toy in dark rooms.

Humming a quiet tune to himself, he hoisted up a large bag of various booklets, pens and other stationery. Each in vivid colors and flags, a melting pot of choice. The cotton bag had been meticulously packed to insure its contents remained wrinkle free during transport.

The tip of his shoe was briefly lifted to double check its polished sheen, before he considered himself truly ready. One final breath…

BZZZZ

His orange claws scooped up the phone on his desk, snug in its shimmering gold casing.

Nobody could dissuade him from the bold choice of color.

# Naomi

> Nm: “Ready to inspect your new office, Mr. President?”

> Ns: “Considering my other engagements, I’m more of a triple president.”

> Nm: “So you’re sticking to it?” > Nm: “I mean, I get why, but you are at a serious risk of spreading yourself thin.”

> Nm: “Class president”

> Nm: “Head of the debate team”

> Ns: “With Fang at most doing the band thing, I might as well do extracurriculars for two.”

> Nm: “President of the Student Life Association”

> Nm: “Member of the Young Leaders League.” > Nm: “And a writer for the school newspaper.” > Ns: “AND volunteer at Pangea Tomorrow.” > Nm: “My point is, maybe scale it back. You’re going to drown in senior year if you have that AND finals.”

> Ns: “Look at that, I’m not a senior this year. Works out perfectly.”

> Nm: “Say ‘hi’ to Fang for me!” > Nm: “So, are we meeting at school or will you pick me up?” > Ns: “I’ll pick you up.”

> Ns: “First, I gotta make sure Fang is alive and breathing. Wouldn’t want them blaming me for the hangover.”

> Ns: “And deliver your greetings to them.”

> Nm: “So responsible, Mr. Triple President.”

> Ns: “Tripresident.”

Fang had spent his morning in a straightforward way. On a whim, he decided to clean up the place, a whim guided by the thought that cleaning up can only be educational and emotionally encouraging. Take a mind off, recenter, focus. Do something useful. And cleaning is inoffensive, nobody can complain you cleaned up but a stickler.

Before that, he gazed off the balcony, and spent a few minutes pinching and poking himself to be certain this world was real. The view was nice: the morning sun, distant beaches, lovely buildings with a distinct ‘overgrown plantlife’ aesthetic. Just soak in a bit, suppress the rising nerves, and form a mental wellness plan.

Then, he’d begin cleaning up the room, if only so those knee high boots wouldn’t flatten something valuable.

Fang put his hands firmly on his sides. A few articles of clothes had been rounded up from the floor and folded up, the bed itself was tidied as well. Pillows in place, sheets pulled taut. The strings of polaroids were examined closely for clues. The room breathed an unnatural tidiness, and a second inspection left the deducing detective to conclusions.

“And this is the phone.” He mused, gazing upon the slab in their hands. Found it in the obvious place: on the bed itself, teetering near the edge. “About as modern as mine. Definitely nicer though. That pretty much goes for everything. Ironic I’d be the one feeling like a fossil.”

With a swift spin, he danced it around his fingers and turned it on. A bright stark moon on a pitch black background greeted him. Judgment: ‘A touch tacky.’

“Huh, of course, pattern lock. Uh…”

His thumb idled, and traced the 3x3 pattern with a circle. He thought about how he might approach this lock, and pick it too. With his face grimacing many directions, he decided a bit of an unusual solution. Made sense in his head.

He put his thumb in various starting positions and swept it around, trying to find a path of least resistance. He’d quickly draw the phone and let his thumb do the thinking.

Against the odds, the borrowed thumb complied, drawing the arcane sigil of unlocking with just a little bit of prompting. Once learned, it would be possible to master the specifics, as with any spell.

“Muscle memory? Hm.”

A brief smirk as he realized that saved him the awkwardness of learning to tie the laces of these big boots. That muscle memory should be easy to find, surely. As the homescreen welcomed him, he simply stared. A sudden, harsh realization paralyzed the thumb until the impatient device locked itself back up again. The sigil was redrawn, yet once more a paralysis kept him from actually doing anything meaningful. As if struck by a defensive ward.

Icons for various apps, nature and purpose unknown. But that uncertainty wasn’t the issue. Instead that deep, underlying worry of digging a bit too deep. Poking in heads not his own. A violation that cannot be taken back, and he had condemned in the past. On top of the fact he often referred to people as ‘cyborgs with how much a phone does for you nowadays.’

‘Okay, maybe do more… inventory? Hair might be dyed? Pictures imply red, but that’s just as much a dyeable color. Pale colors next to phantasmagoric dinos implies whatever their equivalent of ginger is. Choice of attire is fine by me. A little too fine. Very overlapping. In fact, I cannot help but wonder if I am myself, in another world. In terms of taste. If anything that makes the situation MORE awkward, doesn’t it? I’d hate to have to explain myself to myself.’

The silver haired witch gazed in the mirror, seeing only himself. “God, I am going to choke on these new vocal cords. What AM I supposed to sound like? Sharp? Gruff? And why does this body look more ass-kicking than me? The irony is getting me.”

Suddenly, the silver one perked up, and noted a sound coming down the hallway. Footsteps. Standing at the foot of the bed, thoughts began to race. Time slowed to a crawl. The phone slipped out from his fingers.

It fell like a snowflake, gentle as a leaf. There was a lot to consider.

‘Oh that can’t be good.’

‘Husband? Parents? Wait… wife?’

‘What day is it? Phone said sunny weather, didn’t check the…’

‘What voice to…’

His hand swooped down, catching the phone, which had only descended an inch. Eyes unable to remove their laser focus from the door. His heart pounded. Stiff as a board, unable to properly breathe without the tension on his ribs pushing against it.

The top did not help.

‘This is how I die, right? Shotgun blasted for home invasion? Body invasion? Does body invasion, like manslaughter, have a lessened penalty for lack of intent or willing participation? I doubt they’ll care about the nuances. Could they even tell? Will they even care? How shotgun resistant am I like this?’

Then he heard someone bop lightly against the door, followed by the metal ‘tink’ of a zipper. It sent paralyzing chills down his spine.

The irony that Fang - of all people - had the east facing room, catching the first rays of dawn, had never escaped anyone. It made sense, from a historical point of view. The master bedroom had used the extra space of the west protrusion to be lavish, giving the parents all the room they needed. And you’d want your firstborn near, so you use the closest bedroom, leaving Naser with the room at the end of the hall. Nobody could know Fang was a big fan of sleeping in for hours on end at that point. This also meant that the morning person walked right past the not-morning person every day. And that was a fact he fully exploited, for the tiny amusements it tended to bring.

Naser pushed up against the white door and thought for a moment to himself. He listened in, making sure Fang was alive and well, and not groaning over whatever got them in a slump last night. Only once he knew for sure what he was dealing with, did he push his way in.

From the dark hallway to the bright room, where the sun does shine. Instantly confronted by the absence of the usual mess. It almost broke his stride as he took his half-step inwards.

“Good morning on the last day before the first day of the last year.” To his surprise, Fang was frozen, looking him dead in the eyes. Like a bull beetle in the headlights. “Naomi says ‘hi,’ by the way. Uhm. Are you alright? Your room is clean and you look frozen… would the TV remote unpause the mind control chip?”

Naser’s statements lost cohesion as he tried to fill dead space. He wasn’t used to not getting immediately slammed for intruding like this, let alone stared down like a slab of meat. Seconds to minutes.

“Just doing… last day before the first day of the last year cleaning. Tidy room, tidy mind.” Fang finally unfroze, hands coming together. Folded arms, casual pose, facing him directly. Quite stand-offish. Creating an aura of impatience. Naser took it as good news, and put on a big smile. He let go of the door and leaned himself against the doorframe, not unlike an adult trying to connect with the kids. “Well isn’t that a lovely forward thinking mentality. See, my Triple Presidency is already affecting people with its leaderly aura.”

“I will surely be inspired to triple my efforts, oh lord commander president.”

“Technically I’m only really president tomorrow, once the summer vacation ends. Still have the keys, though!” He winked.

The response was terse and unamused: “Gotcha.”

“As I said, Naomi says ‘hi’ and all. More importantly, I’ll be out of the house. In case you didn’t hear me yesterday when you zombied your way to bed. School needs tending to.” “You’re… spending your last day of summer break at school? That’s some high level nerd stuff you’re up to, buddy.”

“Come on, Fang, a triple president sets a triple high!”

“Triple high sounds like huffing an overstuffed blunt.”

“Ahum.” He cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. “Seriously. It’s important work! Making sure everything is set to go for tomorrow’s big announcements, and the rush of juniors and forgetful seniors.”

“Is that why you’re carrying a giant duffle bag of money?” “Not money. Stationery! You’d be surprised how many people forget pens, papers and more. And before you even say it, no, Fang, we’re not replacing them with computers this year either.”

“At this rate you should just run the entire school.” They replied, eyes rolling. “Nerdzilla has the chops for it.” Fang regretted his posturing, as he was going what he considered ‘off script.’ However, being snarky, sassy and quipy was so deeply ingrained into his manners, all he could do was curse every time it happened.

“Har-har. You’re free to spend your last day thinking up cute nicknames. Just don’t burn the house down, and don’t eat the entire meal without me. And clear your throat, you sound so deep and groggy today.”

Fang rolled their eyes once more, just to get the rust off. Naser took his leave, snickering along the way. Then, his gentle voice called out from the hall.

“Oh, mom and dad called last night. Something about a big ‘hoopla,’ as dad calls it, requiring them to stay on Isla Nublar a bit longer than they expected.” “Really now?” Fang grinned, as that was a lucky break, if anything.

“You know how it goes. Expect it to take another month. So if you see Amal bringing groceries, say ‘hi’, but don’t give him the one I just gave from Naomi. Regifting is Tacky!”

Naser finally left Fang alone, closing the door on his way out. Fang took a deep breath, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and let off a low, frustrated grumble. With a sigh befitting the situation, he turned around, and thought.

“What a handful. Nice guy, though. I might have to glue my mouth shut if I don’t stop commenting on things. This was way easier when work and private life were separate.”

After some time of milling over the politeness of this brother figure, he turned himself over to the whims of his body. Hunger. Grabbing the guitars with him, as well as the phone. Along the way, learning the correct pronouns, and the name of this figure through one of the polaroids. And those of a few apparent friends. Things were coming together, sort of. He tried to be optimistic, though his mind refused to veer too far from wanting a quick and dirty solution.

His very presence felt like he was contaminating a timeline. Relaxing and calming as the atmosphere was.

Items in hand, he went down the stairs, and heard the car outside pull away. ‘Good,’ he thought as he explored the halls and saw a kitchen area ahead, ‘means I get to eat in peace.’

As he entered the kitchen, he thought about what to get. Simplest idea was to just throw bread together with some cheese and call it a meal. Provided such ingredients existed. Thus, time to crack the fridge. They did, but that very brief flash of uncertainty was the kind of low-risk anxiety he needed to establish perspective.

‘Giving it some thought.’

‘I might be allergic to lactose?’

‘Would they buy cheese if someone was allergic?’

‘I guess I’ll die then.’

Though there was a chance, and he had grumbled about it, he refused to change clothes. Even if he wasn’t completely sure he liked it. He had more pressing things to worry about, and the thought of looking through someone’s wardrobe to workshop a look was too much. No. Instruments, bags, phones and digging for personal dirt, that’s the way.

A cheesy bite was prepared, a stool at the counter was pulled away, and he looked over the place. Fancy. Large fridge, induction cooking, high end oven and microwave. Glass sliding doors to the finely cut grass yard with tastefully overgrown picket fence. The tiles on the floor were clean, the table tidy. It felt familiar, yet alien. Unlike his sandwich. The square, brown bread felt like it had come on this journey with him.

‘Shitty spy dies forgetting his cover story is allergic to cheese. More like, didn’t research his cover story until after insertion.’ He amused himself with a string of thoughts, each interrupting the last. His twitching fingers equally refused to stop, as if sitting still would make him visible to the looming monster of existential dread, and let it get a bead on him.

To silence the growing realizations, he shoved the cheese sandwich into his beak. Eating is a thing with a maw that long. He was already mulling over the wings and tail, and how they might cause trouble. Once more, he echoed the importance of baby steps. And enjoying good cheese.

Having survived the lactose lacerations, his attention turned to the phone. It was a veritable treasure trove of personal information. Most people are cyborgs nowadays, with phones like these, so it's pretty close to mind reading. And for the more respectful of privacy, it can be a treasure trove of worldly insights.

‘Come on. Just. TURN IT ON AND LOOK.’

His mind was willing, yet his body refused. His thumb just hovered over the screen, which turned off. Then he turned it on again, and hovered anew. The moon wallpaper taunted him, as did the line of notification icons begging someone to finally heed their calls.

Only by chowing down on another bite of cheese could his body be overpowered and overruled. With a swift swipe, the notifications were deployed. A lot of instant messages required attention, as did a few emails and… media playing apps of some description. An auto-playing playlist had halted due to ‘inactivity’. Also, the battery was running dry, he made a note to sort that out later.

“Okay. Just don’t… snoop too far. Just the recent stuff that matters. Names, faces, places. Let’s see. ‘Dinogang’ has very minimal stuff. Just appears to be “Stella” and “Sage” bemoaning the weather and home situations. Uh… “Ya ever hear about WORM DRAMA?” has nothing since… wow. A month. That’s probably most of whatever summer vacation that dork was about.”

‘Government sponsored fursona avatars. Only way to explain how everyone has cute pfps.’

He squinted.

‘What is this Reed guy on about? “I’m vanishing off the planet, my homeworld needs me”? Uh. This planet has connections to aliens? Dude, is anyone around to yell at Fang? Naser’s only talking about dinner and basic school stuff. That said, being boring is probably preferable. Easier to cheese.”

Then he noticed LJ. The most contact there, quite an extensive conversation even. A few musical files had been uploaded, some so recent the (still open) MIDI-mixing app had them loaded in upon activation.

Naturally, he is not above the obvious curiosity.

Tap.

The slab produced a rather interesting sound. With distinct vocals that sounded… familiar. He decided to assume this was him/them/it judging by the date and all.

‘This… sounds like me? Or her. Them? Whoever. There’s overlap. I guess I can sing now? I mean, I sing a lot anyway, I just sucked like a vacuum cleaner.’

# LJ

> L: “If you want this gig, you all will have to play something new.” > L: “Nothing from the other hundred auditions, OK?”

> L: “Just trying to help.”

> F: :ok::pray::music:

> L: “K”

> L: “Send me the song Monday morning.”

‘So. LJ. Who the hell are they? Some kind of friend? Insider? Sending all kinds of tracks. Last thing appears to be that demo. It’s not bad…’

Fang stared ahead. A half-finished sandwich remained. And somehow, his stomach just locked up. It was too late. The endless information barrage had begun to settle like snow, solidifying into a smothering blanket. A suffocating truth that turned his very existence into an objectively bad thing.

‘...And it will never be finished. Not as intended.’

The invading inhabitant tapped his fingers across the counter. Harsh, stark light replaced with ambient blues as the daylight shifted. Bread drying in the rays that remained. His mind bounced every which way, desperate to close the box now opened.

“Existential dread and young cheese. Quite a breakfast for a budding dimensional traveler. Quaaaantum… LEAP!” He tried to create levity, swinging the limp bread around, cheese flapping like a mute tongue. “Let’s just pretend, and set this out: this will fix itself in a few days. A gross transgression of reality shall not stand for long, and I am quite the mistake to begin with. Hear me, oh universe, I will mock thee until my support ticket be resolved.” When the universe was as silent as his sandwich, he grumbled. The bread felt drier than before, and the beak was uncomfortable to eat around. Couldn’t imagine himself dealing with this long term.

‘Or not.’ That sinking, heavy, glob-like feeling of anxiety and dread grew in his chest. Knowing how close he might be to some kind of brink, he swerved again.

“I have no fucking clue what to do today. Apparently, it’s just me and… Naser in this house.”

His brow went down as he looked around the place. ‘Nice house at least.’

Quiet settled in.

His mind stopped producing any thoughts. Instead, sensory information became crisp and clear. Looking at his hands, he saw them vividly, and sighed. What DID he hoped for? The phone seemed to twinkle in the corner of his eyes.

“So, look through weeks of untold teen drama?”

The white witch tapped his claws against the table.

“I dunno, dude, the house is empty. The fuck else is there to do.”

His eye glanced through the opening in the wall. The hallway that connected the living room and kitchen and most of the house was, well, connected through a large, almost hemicircular entrance. It gave the rooms a very open, lively feel, and the sun’s light would bathe both areas through most of the day.

And it let him see the absurdly large flatscreen in the living room.

‘TV.’

‘And a piano. Instruments aplenty.’

“Can I play the piani? Or the geetar? Can I sing? Can I dance?”

As he chuckled, his eye noticed a remote control in the corner of his eye. “So rich they have the remote in the kitchen? Does it reach?” A single press reveals that it does. And with the size of the giant slab, it’s quite legible too. It appeared to be the news. The news means nothing to him, as there is no context to build upon. “Rich. Or maybe the standard of living here is just that high. Welp. I got 24 hours in a day like everyone else, time to read old texts, strum some strings and learn how to cope with newfound existentialism anxiety. First time someone’s gotta deal with not being valid.”

All words. Endless words. Break the silence, kill the thoughts.

His wrist flicked the TV back off. The final bite of sandwich devoured, the phone stuffed in a pocket and instruments in hand, he lowered himself down onto the couch. The U-shaped couch occupied much of the living room, left besides the doorless main entrance archway. Pleather. Soft. Windows on the other side let in the evening sun, but not right now, as it was still morning. The piano likely bathed in the evening light, making it easy to read sheet music. A lovely thing; it’s no grand piano, but the polished wooden surface said it all. It was loved.

Above the sofa was an arrangement of family pictures on shelves. A few larger framed images depicted births, marriages, the big events that warrant high fidelity imagery. The smaller pictures had proud brothers collecting awards, dads and doctorates (or so he assumed) and smaller events like visiting a theme park, or a young Naser adamantly resisting entering a dangerous looking rollercoaster at Fang’s insistence. A family was captured, even if they died tomorrow, their love and life echoed from behind the glass.

All of it bombarded Fang with a sense of unease. Everything was watching. Everything was judging. Fang, the body, may only appear in a few pictures, it was enough to unsettle. A background noise that could only worsen from exposure.

Strangely enough, the idea of being truly invalid. The novelty of it seemed to stave off the realization he might have to die again to right the wrongs. A certain mischievous playfulness began to bubble up.

On the couch, guitar in hand, he plucked idly at the strings. Something familiar boiled under the surface, eager to reveal itself. Almost as if the spirit was, where the soul was not. Or just a lingering desire to finish up that demo. Best he could tell, it just needed a cleaner version, the rest were rougher with dropped notes.

Or something.

‘Surely even I, with limited talents, can fake it with this much supportive effort? Maybe even have time for my own machinations.’ Was how he felt about it. The odds are: the neurons are still there.’

He just had to focus on whatever that muscle memory was that opened the phone earlier. Channel that inner haze and flow it to his fingertips. Take a deep breath. Close his eyes. Feel that energy deep within. That natural tendency. Sending a waving river of energy, until his fingers were light as feathers, drifting on a breeze, and claws and tips plucked the strings.

#GVH #goodbye volcano high #callmefang

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sajaffery · 1 year ago

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..3....

there has to be a better title availible then that? I have to continue the series I suppose but i’m not officially blocked anymore. i dont think i am. i’m writing everyday, its shit, but its still writing. so im not a blocked writer anymore I’m just a shit writer now. its still progress if you ask me, eventually i’ll progress to being a mediocre writer and then i’ll die. because everyone dies and because the next step up is a good writer and to predict myself becoming a great writer would be immodest and i’m nothing if not modest. i broke another rule didnt i. i promised to write one of these everyday and i havent. this is my first...post (yech) in a week nearly. maybe two weeks. I cant remember now, i would have to go back to the old posts and then i would have broken two rules. technically the first one isnt a rule. it was a promise I guess. a mission statement if you think i’m a ponce, which you probably do, but if you do then you wont have reached this part yet, you would have clicked onto something else by now, in which case fuck you (dont worry its only there for dramatic effect), even though i dont blame you i can still hate you. i dont really, i just wanted to get rid of you and if you havent clicked off by now you will definietely will now. if you havent then youre just a glutton for punishment in which case welcome brother! have seat, let me get you a drink because we are gonna get along just fine. I’m adding hastags onto this so we’ll be able to find more people just like us, S&M seems to be a popular tag but i wont be adding that, i have enough weirdos following me who only seem to be intrested in half naked man. sorry new message from tumblr. i have no followers. awsome! i am so glad, freedom at last! i can finally be myself. i can finally let go and speak my mind. its so easy to say that but if i really think about it it can be exteremely confusing because it will essentially depend on where my mind is at that particular moment becuase there will be times i will just feel like screaming and shouting at and everything and everyone (which will be no one since it is the only time i wll truly let this happen) and other times there will essentially be no noticable change in me at all. except my clothes will come off ofcourse. of course! who in their right mind would possibly choose to remain clothed if they didnt have to. i totally understand people who move to naked communes and choose to spend the rest of their lives with all their bits hanging out. clothes are just another form of prison arnt they? a confinement designed to make you self concious of yourr real self. to hold you in and keep you hidden from the real word. why havent i moved to a naked commune uet? its fair questuon there are plenty of them around arnt there? atleast i think there are, thats certainly the impression television gives you. everyother person seems to be oving to a naked comune in bad movies and rubbish television shows. i dont wwatch bad movies and rubbish tv mind you, i just like keeping up with whats happening. sort ofna of like a cautionary....oh shit shit fuck fuck fuckity mutherfucker! my fucking laptopn just froze so i had to hold on kickeing and screaming to my train of thought in the fear that i might losee it have nothing to talk to you about, like that i bit i just wrote a little while ago about the state of your mind and when youll see a difference while letting go. that was so boring, i apologise for that, i wish i could delete it, but i cant ofcourse, see previous posts for details as to why, i wish there was a way to just put up a cautionary sign when you come onto this......webpage...(it is not a blog mutherfucker!) oh comon! my fucking laptop keeps freezing.

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mybrainproblems · 1 year ago

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#idk this is all conjecture. but it’s interesting to think about#don’t take my word as gospel truth 🤷🏻#also. full disclosure. I have not yet watched the finale#I’m still in s14 on my first layer seasons watch!!

okay, so i've watched 15x20 nine ten times now and this is really a good summary for exactly why these rumors persist about the "extra" ad break and the episode being "short" (hell, i was even ready to throw in on the extra ad break rumor)

people have either never watched it bc they heard it was bad, or they haven't watched it in three years bc yes, the episode is just not up to par with other spn episodes, nvm finales. and since it's more fun repeat a fun conspiracy than fact check, it keeps going around. (which i also parroted! until i decided to get out a stopwatch and check for myself in dec 2022!) it was also a rumor that got a lot of play by a couple of popular blogs in late 2020/early 2021 and it gained a lot of traction then.

so yeah. it's worth investigating! which i did and have been digging into for a year now. i had hit the dead end of not being able to find a version of 15x20 where the ad breaks were intact. which brings me to...

an extremely lovely person reached out to me last night to let me know that they had 15x20 on their DVR with ad breaks intact and pulled the rough timing marks for me without me even asking bc they are an absolute angel!!!

transcription of the timing marks in the second image:

1. mins 10-13 after boys catch vamp mime (yep 10 whole minutes!) 2. mins 17-22 (incl cw promo) after kids run out/vamp lineup enters 3. mins 32-35 after dean's death 4. mins 40-45 (incl jared walker promo) after sam walks out of bunker 5. mins 57-60 after bridge waving :\

which means i was extremely wrong in my first reblog guessing where most of the ad breaks were as someone who hadn't watched live and... there are no extra ad breaks from what I can tell? (as someone who actually works on this, please chime in if these look off! i would love to hear from someone who actually knows!) at least to me, it looks like they're at about the time slots i would expect for a normal TV episode? breaks 1&2 feel like they're close but idk. my knowledge is mostly in TV market research, not ad sales/buying (side bar: i adore being proven wrong with Facts, if i am wrong pls tell me!!)

what i think makes it feel like the episode is under 42min or that there might have been extra ad breaks (which i would totally have believed) is that not even midway through the 60min time block it runs into narrative concrete with dean's impalement. and then you have an entire second half of the ep where nothing happens and it is So. Slow. it's basically a single scene (dean's death) and then dean and bobby's short convo, followed by a couple of aimless montages with OG carry on and a cover of carry on back-to-back.

it is a WEIRD fucking episode. especially from a writer who is, at worst, competent. (i say this as a dabbfan & with love in my heart)

i have a post i just made with a list of major timing marks if anyone wants to take a look. (once i knew where to look they were SO obvious)

also bc it might contextualize my pov: i'm in the camp of "no major changes that weren't related to covid regulations were made between shutdown and starting filming again." i genuinely believe that the finale was screwed long before the reaction to 15x18. walker was the CW's follow-on show and they were looking for general audiences for that show, not destiel shippers. it's a really boring explanation, but i think it's the most likely. at a guess, last minute cuts were smaller adjustments and (my unprovable theory) waiting to see if they could get another song licensed for the montage.

ok so like. thinking about the fact that there was an extra commercial break in the finale

In 2021 I used to work for [major US cable company] on a team that manually scheduled all of the ads that aired on their network every single day. While the exact shit that airs gets put in there the day before by a team of approx 10 human beings (insane), the tv show schedule & the breaks themselves are SET IN STONE. It takes a really specific, heavy-hitting request from a network and a LOT of people & moving parts to make an extra commercial break happen. That shit is built into the system way in advance!!!!!

I wish I had thought to ask my coworkers if they remembered anything happening then. Things were ofc moving around a lot because of the election coverage, BUT that was in the news networks, not on the fucking CW. Do we think that request was made last minute??? how long did they plan to have that extra break in there?????? were they cutting that episode up until the last minute after the networks saw the reaction to 15x18??????? we will probably never know but it is gonna bug me forever

#there are A LOT of conspiracy rumors about the finale. some of them persist even after being debunked (e.g. onion field pic)#multiple rumors source back (best as i can find) to a person who got taken for a ride by a supposed wb employee #fake wb employee revealed they were just yanking their chain shortly after the finale aired due to them spreading misinfo #i'm vagueing here bc i'm really uncomfortable talking about this person directly #but it rustles my jimmies to see so many of the same untruths keep cycling through the fandom even after being debunked #i've been posting about the 'short runtime' thing for a year and the rumor never seems to go away bc my blog has zero reach #i didn't hear it for a while but it has come ROARING back in the last week and i have no clue why. 5 nov i guess?#finales georg #spn #sorry! i get very excited about finale info/discussion!

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littlewinter1917 · 2 years ago

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Stay the Night

My blog is 18+ only. Minors DNI. 🔞 Don’t repost my work anywhere.

Words: 7.6k

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Summary: After having a classic horror movie marathon with your friends, you're a bit more scared than you'd like to admit. Naturally, Eddie offers to stay the night and keep you company; A great idea, if only you didn't have the biggest crush on the cute metalhead.

Warnings: Just a lot of fluff and hurt/comfort. Some teasing and swearing. Clueless idiots to lovers aka secret mutual pining. Brief mentions of past drug and alcohol use. Hints of a slight panic attack. Gets suggestive towards the end.

A/N: I couldn't help myself with this one, Eddie just owns at least half of my heart by now. The title is inspired by this song from Benjamin Orr.

Read the story on AO3 here.

“Steve, stop hogging all of the popcorn!” Robin exclaims, exasperated, before poking the guy in question with her foot from the other end of the couch.

“What?” Steve answers, while munching down on the snack, one arm still wrapped securely around the bowl, “You said you didn’t want any.”

“I said I didn’t want any right now, and that was almost an hour ago, so don’t be a dick and share.”

“I am sharing,” he defends himself, gazing down pointedly at a spot next to him near the couch.

“The dog doesn’t count, Steve.” Robin argues, and you can’t help but smile at their usual bickering.

It’s almost always like that, and you and Nancy share an amused glance at their antics before Eddie suddenly steps back into the living room, carrying way too many drinks, all whilst trying to close your kitchen door with his foot.

“A little help here!” He calls out, and you’re up in seconds because, well, you’re simply a rather attentive friend.

You don’t notice the look that the rest of the group is sharing, too focused on getting to Eddie, who lets out a relieved sigh at the sight of you.

“Thank you! At least one of my friends is considerate.” He states deliberately towards the couch, and it’s followed by a collective and incomprehensible mumble of excuses.

Eddie just shakes his head, his dark curls bopping around, and you can’t help but think that he looks utterly adorable, although, to be fair, he usually does.

You’re quick to take the soft drinks out of Eddie’s grasp, while he still carries the alcoholic ones, and the earnest smile he gives you might as well make you melt into the fluffy carpet floor underneath your bare feet.

“You’re a real lifesaver,” he playfully praises as the two of you make your way back towards the large couch, and you feel your cheeks heat up, slightly flustered, trying to look anywhere but at the tall guy next to you.

When you hand one of the drinks over to Nancy, she shoots you a knowing look, but you just huff with a roll of your eyes, before sitting down in your usual spot next to Steve again.

“Alright! Last one!” Eddie proclaims, excitement clear in his voice, as he plants himself next to you, at the edge of the couch.

“You ready, hot stuff?” he asks, remote control securely in one of his hands and his bright brown eyes looking down attentively at you.

“Yeah, sure!” You state, hoping you sound more convinced than you feel, while trying to get comfortable within the little space you now have between Steve and Eddie.

It’s an impossible task, though, because Steve keeps scooting closer to you, and by default you scoot closer to Eddie and-

Realizing what Steve is doing, you give him a tiny death glare, but he tries to play it off, all innocent and shit, giving you a sickly-sweet smile.

“Comfortable, sweetheart?” he teases, and you just scoff, crossing your arms in annoyance in front of your chest and turning your attention back towards the large TV.

“Okay, so, this one is the big horror finale. The great crescendo if you will.” Eddie explains, before starting the film. “If you guys thought the other movies were terrifying, wait till you see this! I actually saw some people throw up in the theatre when I watched it; it was absolutely wild! You’re gonna love this!”

The smile on your lips is pained, but you nod your head in understanding and support regardless.

God, what have you gotten yourself into, exactly? You think. This had been a bad idea right from the start, and somehow it still manages to get even worse. To say that the last two horror movies had already been a struggle would be an absolute understatement, and the prospect of something even more horrifying seems almost impossible to you.

Glancing over at Eddie, you’re once more reminded why you’re doing this. He’s been practically beaming all night at the prospect of sharing these scary movies with his closest friends – you, Steve, Nancy, and Robin.

And it didn’t even need a lot of convincing to get you to join him in that conquest, because to be completely honest, you’d probably do almost anything, if it means you ‘d get to spend more time with Eddie, and see him be as joyful and carefree as he currently is.

When he first told the three of you about his idea of a little horror movie night, Robin had shot you a rather worried glance, knowing just how sensitive you really are when it comes to scary films and your blatant intolerance to all kinds of gory and violent things.

There’s a reason why your video rental record consists mostly of Disney movies and the Muppets.

But you had brushed her off, trying to convince both, yourself, and her that it surely couldn’t be that bad, and you’d be fine.

What’s one movie night with a few horror flicks?

Well, apparently it is quite something, and despite trying to have a good time, you’re not really succeeding.

The only thing that’s keeping you tied to your seat on the couch is Eddie’s delighted and witty commentary, and the excited look on his face certainly helps as well.

But apart from that, you’d rather be watching a fucking informercial right now. Anything has to be better than the screaming and killing that’s currently happening on your TV screen.

It had been Steve’s suggestion to watch those movies at your apartment out of all places. His official justification for it was that you own the biggest TV, and albeit true, you’re starting to get the feeling that his true motives lie somewhere entirely else.

Because as obvious as Eddie might be to your little crush on him, everyone else within your group of friends really isn’t.

They’ve been subtly teasing you for months about it now, nudging you on and trying to convince you to confess your feelings to Eddie, because for some reason they’re sure that it wouldn’t end in a fucking catastrophe.

But you’re not ready to risk the amazing friendship you and Eddie already share. You’d rather have him as one your closest confidant on a solely platonic level than lose him completely because of the silly butterflies that keep dancing around in your stomach at the slightest touch or smile or glance from him.

“Hey,” Eddie's hushed voice calls you back from your thoughts, as he nudges you with a small bowl of M&M’s, “you haven’t really been eating any snacks tonight, have you?”

Staring at the colorful little treats that are being offered to you, you try to think of a reason that would explain your unusual snack celibacy, without mentioning that you already feel sick to your stomach from the gruesome scenes that keep playing out on TV; but all you manage to come up with is a mumbled: “Yeah, I’m actually not that hungry.”

Eddie looks unconvinced. He knows you well enough to be aware of the fact that refraining from snacks during movie nights is rather odd behavior from you, and he’s actually starting to grow a little concerned.

Come to think of it, you’ve been behaving rather odd all evening. Eddie knows that horror movies aren’t quite your scene, but he’s unaware of just how much of a challenge they truly pose for you.

If he did know, he wouldn’t be watching them right now, because the last thing he fucking wants is for you to be uncomfortable.

Too bad that the last thing you want is for him to be disappointed or upset with you.

So, you’ve decided to bite the bullet, even though it’s getting more challenging by the minute as the violent death count on the TV screen increases,

You know nothing about it is real, but it still manages to make you feel uneasy, and you can’t help but squirm in your seat in discomfort.

You try to seem fine and unaffected, you really do, but it’s harder than you’d anticipated, and you’re not sure how much longer you can act like this is all fun and games, and not shaking you up completely.

Realizing that your heart rate is picking up and you start to feel a little dizzy, you try to focus on your breathing, in the quiet hopes that the nauseating tumble of your stomach will pass in a moment or two.

That is, until a slender hand, decorated with way too many rings, gently reaches out, touching yours and pulling you back to reality.

“Are you alright?” Eddie's eyes are earnest and a bit worried, and you have to swallow a lump the size of the earth, before mumbling a quiet, “Uh-huh.”

Not your most convincing performance, you’ll admit, but it’s all you can muster as you watch a guy get chopped into pieces with an-

“You sure? You look a little-“

“Eddie, I’m fine.”

Somehow, you manage to get the words out between clenched teeth without your voice shaking, but Eddie still seems slightly wary.

“You know,” he gently teases, “If you’re scared you can just cuddle up to me. I don’t bite unless you want me to.”

He shoots you a playful wink, but instead of one of your usual lighthearted giggles or smiles, you just nod your head absentmindedly.

“Uh-huh, sounds uh great.”

“Hey,” Eddie’s voice takes on a more serious tone after this, as he tries to get you to look at him, and you do, albeit rather reluctantly.

You watch the light of the TV flicker over his concerned features, and part of you feels bad for not telling the truth, but you also can’t really start now either, can you?

Besides, you’ve made it through two scary movies already, what’s another one in the grant scheme of things?

But god, does it have to be that bloody?

Eddie feels his heart break a little at the sight of you. This is not how he wanted the night to go at all. Not by a long shot.

He had been excited to share these movies with you, and yes, maybe he also liked the idea that you might get slightly scared, and he could be all protective and shit, without any real danger, ‘cause god knows Hawkins has enough of that all on its own already.

And it doesn’t really help that your shared friends have been in his ears for weeks, no months, now, urging him to make a move on you, ever since they’ve become aware of his little crush on you.

Although little crush might be putting it lightly.

He’s head over heels in love with you; and how could he not be?

You’re the funniest person he knows, and Eddie likes to think that he knows a lot of people, so that assessment has to mean something, right? It certainly means something to him.

You’ve turned out to be quite different from what he initially expected after having seen you be friends with Nancy and Steve.

Those two are also the ones who first introduced you to one another, and god does he wish he would have befriended you way earlier than that. Because now he can’t actually imagine not having you around, and the fact that there was a time in his life where he wouldn’t spend his afternoons curled up in his bedroom with you, listening to music and talking well into most nights is almost unimaginable to him now.

You’re kind and gentle, and incredibly smart, but you’re also not afraid to put him in his place if needed. There’s a fierceness within you he wouldn’t have expected whatsoever, and he admires you for both, your softness, and your courage.

You manage to make him laugh like no other, and he might not even be exaggerating when he says you’re the best thing that happened in his life – apart from getting his guitar and starting his D&D club, maybe.

So, yes, he fucking loves you, but he thinks there is no way in hell that you’ll feel the same way. In his mind you’re completely out of his league, and he just doesn’t want to risk losing you as a friend, even if it means he’ll never get to have you as a lover –no matter how much he might long for that.

And he knows it’s going to be painful, at least at some point, because he’ll have to watch you fall in love with someone else.

Actually, he’s been having the growing and uncomfortable feeling that that has already been happening, because he keeps catching Steve, Robin, and sometimes even Nancy make certain subtle hints and jabs towards you, when they think he’s not paying attention, suggesting that there’s someone who’s been catching your interest lately.

He’d be lying if he said that he isn’t a little hurt by the fact that you didn’t confide in him with that kind of information, especially considering that you’ve apparently told the rest of your shared friends, but at the same time he’s also a little bit relieved, because he knows it would absolutely kill him to have to listen to you swoon over some other guy or girl.

Either way he absolutely hates the idea that there might be someone you’re into, and that it isn’t him, because it simply can’t be.

Looking back over at you, he sees you squirming in your seat next to him again, and no matter how often you’re going to state that it’s nothing, he can tell that something is wrong.

“Hey, if the movie’s too much we can-“

“Eddie, I’m fine! I’m absolutely fucking fine!”

You try to be convincing in what you’re saying, and to an outsider you might as well be, but Eddie can see your little signs of aggravation clearer and clearer now.

It's in the way you fiddle with a loose strand of the couch cushion, eyes more fixed on the coffee table in front of you than on the TV, and when your eyes do find their way towards the screen, they’re unfocused and distant, as if you try to look through the TV rather than at it.

You’re still trying hard to keep your discomfort contained, but it’s getting to a point where watching the movie is almost unbearable now, and with an abrupt movement, you’re suddenly up.

“I need a fucking drink!” You state, before hurrying out of the room and taking refuge in your kitchen.

Eddie’s eyes wander to the barely touched coke that’s been silently sitting in front of you on the coffee table, and he furrows his brows in confusion.

What is going on?

Eddie doesn’t even really think before getting up too, quietly following your path into the kitchen.

He finds you with your hands gripping the edge of a kitchen counter tightly, head tilted downwards while taking shaky breath after shaky breath.

“Jesus, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” His voice might be the softest you’ve ever heard it, but it still catches you by surprise and you flinch.

“Hey, hey, shit it’s just me,” Eddie soothes, trying to calm you down and make sure you’re alright.

You look at him, wide-eyed and panicked.

He’s not supposed to see you like this, because there’s no way you’re able to explain this right now.

But you don’t really need to, because Eddie’s number one priority is taking care of you at this very moment.

He takes a careful step forward, trying to assess his next moves based on your reaction. You don’t flinch again; instead, you’re almost frozen in place, still watching Eddie nervously.

God, he’s going to be so disappointed in you, you think. He’s going to think you’re being way too sensitive about this, and you feel like a fool.

Unbeknownst to you, none of that crosses Eddie's mind. To him you just look like a scared deer in the headlights, and all he wants to do right now is make sure you’re alright.

His voice is still nothing but gentle as he keeps making his way towards you.

“You wanna tell me what’s gotten you this upset?”

“’m not upset.” You mumble, counting your gray kitchen tiles rather than looking at the tall guy, who’s come to stop right in front of you.

“Right, sure.” Eddie states, before his hands come up to either side of you on the kitchen counter you’re currently pressed against, practically caging you in between him and your usual cooking workspace.

“You wanna try that again?” Eddie challenges softly, brown eyes still gentle and full of worry.

When you stay quiet for another heartbeat or two, he adds quietly, “It’s the movie, isn’t it?”

All you manage to do is muster a little nod, before turning instantly apologetic.

“Look, Eddie, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to ruin your horror movie night, I-“

“Hey, what are you even talking about? You didn’t ruin anything my little devil.”

You can’t help the small smile at his usual-unusual nickname.

He had come up with it one night, when you two were getting high behind his trailer, lying in the damp grass beneath the stars; and while you were looking up, pointing out different constellations and talking excitedly about their mythological origins, Eddie was busy admiring you.

“You need like a totally cute nickname,” he had mumbled to himself and you gave him a slightly confused look before he continued:

“You know, one of these cheesy pet names. You need one; something sweet and classic like, uh, like angel, but I obviously can’t call you that because that would be blasphemous, I’m a satanic-oh, oh, that’s it!”

“What?”

“You’re my little devil.”

“What?”

“My little devil.”

“Eddie, you’re high as a kite, what are you talking about?”

“Cute nicknames, did you not listen to me? Okay, wait now I need one too…”

Initially, you thought he was just joking around, but the next day when you woke up curled up next to him, that’s what he would sleepily call you, and he’s been sticking to the name ever since; or most of the time anyways.

“So, you wanna tell me what’s really going on, little devil?” he whispers while wrapping his arms around you, swaying you two gently from side to side.

As usual, his closeness paired with his gentle touch has your heart beating a thousand times per minute.

He’s so close, you’re actually a little scared he might hear your heart, that’s currently absolutely in overdrive, or even feel it, cause it feels so strong.

But little do you know that the same worry is clouding Eddie’s mind while he holds you tightly to himself. Heart pounding in his ribcage with an intensity he didn’t think was humanly possible.

He tries hard not to notice how intoxicatingly good you smell; how your increasingly steady breaths tickle the exposed skin of his neck, or how well you fit into the confines of his arms; how good your body feels pressed against his.

And it’s not the first time he’s being this close to you either.

Eddie is what you would call a rather affectionate friend in general, and he turns into a complete cuddle monster once he’s high or drunk or exceptionally sleepy.

You’ve spent lots of nights at each other’s places and you’ve shared the same bed countless of times before, too.

But it usually happens when neither of you are in a particularly sober state, and while his touches still feel thrilling then, you keep telling yourself that they’re not deliberate. That they don’t really mean anything, or at least to Eddie, they don’t.

So, being this close to him is always both, exciting, yet also a little painful. You focus on the fact that Eddie would probably be this affectionate with any of his friends if they’d stick around as long as you do after getting high.

You’ve convinced yourself that Eddie would snuggle up to Steve just as much as he usually snuggles up to you. That he would carefully kiss Steve’s forehead too, or Nancy’s, or even Robin’s, the way he usually does it with you, before you both drift into a comfortably numb sleep after having shared the devil’s lettuce with one another.

There are some nights were you’re lying next to him, and you can’t help but imagine that this is probably what it would be like, being with Eddie.

Sometimes when he’s already fast asleep in your arms, snoring away softly, you can’t help but think about what it must be like to call him yours. What it must be like if you didn’t have to stifle the urge to kiss his little nose that he usually crunches up in an adorable bunny-esque way during his sleep.

To curl up into him and kiss his neck in a lazy yet playful manner; or when you wake up in his arms and catch him already gazing down at you with a certain softness in his eyes that under different circumstances might be interpreted as something akin to love.

But you’re both still coming down from a high, and you’re not quite in your right state of mind most of the time when you’re around him, so you don’t even dare to think about any of it for the majority of the moments you two spend together.

You’re still curled up in Eddie's gentle embrace, and you stay like this for a while longer before you carefully state, “Please believe me Eddie when I say I really tried to be okay while watching the movies, I really, really did but-“

“Hey, you don’t need to apologize. It’s okay to have your limits and I’m not mad, I just wished you would have told me earlier as soon as your discomfort started.”

“’m sorry I didn’t,” you mumble.

“I just don’t understand why?”

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Well, I-I didn’t want to ruin the movie night. Everyone was having a great time and-and I guess I didn’t want to disappoint you either.”

“Disappoint me?” Eddie asks, slightly bewildered, “Why would I be disappointed? It’s just some movies sweetheart. Sure, those are movies I enjoy, but I don’t enjoy them that much that I would hold grudges against you for not liking them the way that I do. To be honest I don’t even think such movies could exists in the first place.”

“So, you’re not mad?”

“Mad? My little devil what’s this about? I would never be mad at you; certainly not over a goddamn movie.”

There’s a little relieved sigh that leaves your lips and you’re about to curl up more into Eddie’s embrace when Steve suddenly walks in, letting out a startled yelp.

The unexpected noise and visitor has both Eddie, and you detangle in a hurry, trying to get away from each other, as if you’ve just been caught doing something terribly forbidden.

“Geez, warn a guy when you’re making out in the fucking kitchen, would ya.” Steve teases with a knowing look before strolling towards the fridge.

“Don’t mind me, my two love birds I just need some ice cubes.”

“But Steve we didn’t do anything,” you quickly explain, cheeks heated, and gaze turned towards your kitchen tiles again.

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“I was just not feeling well because of the movie-“

“Right.”

“And I was just comforting her- “

“Yeah.”

Steve’s not buying any of it, or maybe he is, but he just enjoys teasing you; after all, it is rather easy to get you two all flustered and shit, especially when you’re around one another.

“Movie’s almost over,” Steve states instead, after flinging the door of the freezer apartment back shut. “But hey I get it; making out in the kitchen probably tops that.”

“But we weren’t-“

Steve just raises his hand in a playful manner, and shakes his head.

“I know what I saw. Two people entangled like that?” He gives the both of you a pointed look, “If you weren’t making out yet, you two were about to, and that’s basically the same thing.”

The shit eating grin on Steve’s face is almost as infuriating as his blatantly false assessment of the situation, but you know that nothing you can say will change his mind.

He’s gone as quickly as he came, and you and Eddie are once more on your own, within the space your rather small kitchen.

There’s a short moment of quiet, as you both silently curse Steve, before Eddie looks back up at you, arms open wide for you to curl back into.

“You know there’s no way in hell I’m letting you watch the rest of that stupid movie, right?” He mumbles while holding you close again, lips barely brushing against your ear.

“Eddie-“

“No, here me out, this night was supposed to be fun and maybe a little bit spooky, but I did not anticipate finding you in the kitchen having a fucking meltdown, and it’s my fault ‘cause I should have known better and-“

“Eddie that’s bullshit.” You interrupt him decisively, “I should have known my limits, and been more mindful of that. None of this is your fault. You didn’t know just how much I struggle with that kind of content.”

“I just don’t understand why you would then agree to such a movie night in the first place, sweetheart.” He quietly mumbles against your skin, and for a short moment you actually consider telling him.

Telling him that there was no way you could have told him no, not when he was looking at you with those big, and beautiful brown eyes of his, smile as bright as the Indiana Sun high up in the sky, and excitement written all over his features.

He had been just so joyous when he’d come up with the idea, and you’d do anything to see him happy, even if it means that you’ll have to subject yourself to something you normally wouldn’t dream of doing.

Guess self-preservation has never been your strongest suit; but you can’t tell him that, because then the secret you’ve been keeping for the past few months would slip out.

The secret, that you’ve been head over heels for him for a while now, and god knows how he would react.

You don’t want to find out.

You really don’t want to find out.

And so, instead, you stay silent, playing it off like you yourself are not quite sure why.

Eddie’s now drawing random patterns on your back, and the room is quiet again, save for the faint sounds coming from the TV speakers, and Robin’s and Nancy’s laughs.

“Do you want me to spend the night?” Eddie suddenly whispers, and when you look at him wide-eyed, he quickly adds, “You know, just to- I mean I don’t have to if you don’t want me to, I just thought you might feel safer after everything, and that way I can make sure you’re alright.”

“Eddie, I can’t possibly ask you to do that.“

“You don’t have to; I’m offering. I want to stay here with you if you’ll let me.”

He looks down at you, eyes earnest and soft; and despite your nervousness of what that could entail, you nod your head because – well, you can’t say no to Eddie, now, can you?

“But I don’t-I don’t have any weed left.”

The mumbled admission falls from your lips quickly and slightly embarrassed.

He’s going to pull out now, you think.

You’d understand if he pulled out now.

He doesn’t.

Eddie just looks at you confused, eyes searching your face for something, but you’re not quite sure what it could be.

“Do you think that that’s what this is about?”

“What?”

“Do you think I’m only going to stay if there’s weed involved?”

Eddie almost sounds a little bit hurt, and you shake your head softly.

“No, I just thought-you only ever spend the night after getting high or really drunk or something like that.”

Yeah, no shit, Eddie thinks, because otherwise he doesn’t have any excuse to take residence in your bed.

He can’t just spend the night because he feels like it, and god, does he feel like it each and every fucking time you two spend some time together; but he can’t - because he’s nothing more than a friend, and you aren’t his, even if he really, really, really wants you to be.

There’s some odd shuffling sound from behind the kitchen door, that’s pulling both of your attention away from each other, and then Robin’s head pokes around the corner, smile bright and cheeky.

“There you two are. Steve said-“

“He was lying!!” Both you and Eddie exclaim at the same time, and Robin’s features light up even more.

“Uh-huh, sure. So, the movie is done now, and-“

“And we’re ready to get going.” Nancy finishes, her smile mirroring Robin’s, before stepping into the kitchen, carrying some of the empty bowls and glasses.

“What about you, Eddie?” Robin questions, eyes sparkling mischievously, and you try shaking your head, subtly, telling her to stop whatever she’s doing or wherever she might be going with this.

“Oh, I-“ Eddie scratches the side of his neck, looking a little flushed. “I was thinking of, uhm, staying the night.”

“Ah, not done watching scary movies yet, are we? Or are the two of you planning on watching something a little more romantic?” Steve has now joined the commotion, too, and the smile he shoots your way is nothing but suggestive.

God, you’re going to kill that guy next time you catch him alone.

He just wiggles his eyebrows, laughing softly, and you decidedly step out of the kitchen with a huff, determined to help Nancy with the clean-up and ignore his little jabs.

Once you’re both back in the living room, she turns towards you.

“You know this could be your chance, right?”

“Nance don’t even start. I’m not going to-“

“Oh, come on, don’t say he doesn’t feel the same way, again,” she whispers, turning her head back towards the kitchen, where Steve and Eddie are having a discussion of their own.

“I don’t know what else needs to happen for you to see that he’s head over heels for you. He’s even offering to stay the night because we watched a scary movie, and look at how shy he’s just gotten when he tried to admit that.”

“Yeah,” Robin suddenly chimes in, “And I’ve never seen him get that shy before.”

“He’s not-that’s not what’s happening.” You state, trying to sound convincing.

“He’s just being a good friend.”

“Yes, right, a ‘good friend’” Nancy echoes, ”Do you see me and Steve cuddled up in the kitchen for half an hour? Or him spending the night at my place at least, what, three times a week? Do you see us call each other pet names like that unironically, or exchange longing looks across the table each time we’re with one another?”

You shake your head with a soft sigh.

“No! Of course not,” Nancy finishes, “Because Steve and I are just friends, but what you and Eddie have going on? That’s not even within the framework of friendship anymore. You both try to be nothing but friends, while desperately longing for so much more than that, and it’s actually painful to watch.”

“Nancelot’s right,” Robin quips, “It is painful to watch just how obvious you two can be, and that’s coming from me, so do with that what you will.”

You turn your head back around towards the kitchen with a sigh. Jesus, your friends can be seriously persistent, you think, before watching Eddie step out of the kitchen’s doorway, shaking his head vigorously.

You can’t quite hear what he’s saying, but it doesn’t need FBI-training to be able to tell that his whole body language is saying: No fucking chance.

“What’s that about?” You mumble, but before you can get any closer, Nancy is pulling you back up by your arm.

“They’re probably just discussing music or something.”

“Again?” you state, slightly exasperated, “God, these two never learn to just leave some topics alone.”

“Leaving certain things unsaid seems like a strong suit for you, though.”

Turning around towards Robin, she gives you an innocent smile.

“Just an observation.”

“Okay, fuck off. Go observe someone else maybe.”

“Alright, but I’m not wrong.”

“I didn’t say you were. I just don’t want all my character flaws exposed during a fucking movie night.”

“Fair enough, but you should still tell him-“

“Nope!” You exclaim, hands raised in a defeated gesture, “That is so not happening. And weren’t you two supposed to be on your merry way, anyway?”

“Oh, so someone is eager to spend the night with-“

“I can’t hear you; I think I’ve somehow gotten popcorn stuck in my ear canal. And I’m not going to tell him-“

“Tell who?” Eddie suddenly questions, standing at the entrance to your living room.

Oh, shit. When exactly did he get here?

“No one!” You answer a little too quickly, while pushing past him, dragging Nancy by her hand towards your entrance door.

“The hospitality rating of this place seriously sucks,” she mumbles, and you just give her a glare.

“It was so fun to have you all around, but I’m getting really tired of-“

“Of being tired?” Steve interjects, “Try sleeping - with each other, maybe.” He adds with a quiet mumble, and you stifle the urge to hit or punch his smug face.

Eddie doesn’t seem to have caught it, though, so that’s a relief.

After kicking all of your friends out of your apartment, except for one, really pretty, curly-haired one, you two make your way back into your living room.

“What was that about?” Eddie asks, and you just shake your head, “You don’t really want to know. They’re just being annoying dicks.” You mumble, while picking up the last empty beer bottles.

“Because you like someone.” Eddie’s voice is unusually soft again, and it makes you freeze in your movement.

Oh no.

“What makes you say that?” You whisper, eyes searching your carpet for weird stains and popcorn crumbs.

“So, it’s true then?”

“What?”

“That there’s someone you like.” Eddie’s voice is now barely a hushed whisper, as he closes in on you, before adding carefully, “Do I know them?”

You think that getting knocked over the head with one of the empty beer bottles you’re currently carrying would make your head feel less fuzzy and dizzy than you’re currently feeling.

“I-uh, uhm yeah.” Your voice is so quiet, you’re not actually sure if you said the words out loud.

“Fuck,” Eddie mumbles more to himself than anything, but you still catch it.

The two of you are quiet for a moment, until Eddie suddenly decides that he’s had enough.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” There’s something in his voice that almost sounds hurt again, but before you can dwell on it too much he continues, “Because you’ve apparently told all of your friends; All of your friends, but me.”

Oh god, this really can’t be happening, you think.

“Eddie it’s not quite like that, I just-“

Well, shit.

You just what?

You’re just hopelessly in love with one of your best friends. But you can’t tell him that, now, can you?

When you stay quiet again, Eddie sighs defeated.

“I just want to understand why you would tell everyone but me. It’s like you trust them enough but when it comes to me, you-“

“Eddie, stop.”

Your eyes search for his in the dim lights of the living room.

“Can we not have this discussion right now, please?”

But Eddie just huffs, not ready to let that topic go just yet.

“Eddie, I promise you it’s not the way you think it is. Besides, he doesn’t like me like that anyway so-“

“He?” Eddie asks, voice a broken whisper.

So, it’s a guy then.

Somehow that revelation stings more, maybe because that guy could have been him; If he wasn’t quite as out of your league, he thinks.

Shit.

“Yeah, he uhm-he’s a guy, you know. A dude, some dude.”

Smooth. Real smooth.

Almost as smooth as that extra chunky peanut butter Steve keeps buying.

“I see.” Eddie states, trying hard to keep his voice steady.

Fuck why does this hurt so much.

This is like the worst worst-case scenario of what he wanted this night to be. In fact, he thinks, this is everything he didn’t want this night to be.

A bad horror movie marathon that scares the love of his life shitless, only to then be told by said love that she’s into another guy?

Getting pierced through the heart with a rusty dagger would probably hurt less.

“So, uhm that guy, I’m sorry he’s not into you.”

Couldn’t be me, Eddie thinks, though he considers that hardly any comfort for you.

“It’s okay really. I’ll get over it eventually, I’m sorry I didn��t tell you earlier, it’s just-”

It’s just that it’s you, you dumbass.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m not particularly good with all that boys talk anyways.” Eddie brushes off, trying to sound nonchalant while quickly blinking some tears away.

Jesus Christ, this really is turning into a nightmare.

But maybe he should rip the band-aid straight off from the battle wounds you keep leaving on his heart. Yeah, why not.

“So, who is it?”

This is going to be so fucking painful, Eddie thinks, but at least he’ll have some clarity; Knows who to stare daggers at for the rest of his life.

“What?”

“Who is it? The guy you’re obviously crushing on. You said I know him and I-“

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?”

“I just can’t.”

“Wow, so you still don’t trust me the same way as the others. Because they know, don’t they?”

“Eddie-“ You start, without really knowing how to finish it, but he just scoffs, looking at you with disbelieve.

“Well, this sure feels great. Knowing you like them all more than me.”

“Oh, that so not true! In fact, this couldn’t be any further from the truth-“

“Oh, really?” Eddie interjects, voice slightly raised.

“Do you know how much it fucking stings to know that you told everyone about that stupid crush of yours but leaving me out completely; and I still don’t understand why, by the way, but I fucking digress.”

“Oh my god, it’s not like that!”

“Yeah, well what’s it like then?”

When you stay silent once more, Eddie runs his fingers through his hair, absolutely defeated, and done.

Fuck, he wants to go home.

Wants to go home and scream into his pillow, get black out drunk and cry his heart and soul out, but instead he’s here.

In hell.

Right in the middle of your living room.

“So, you’re still not going to tell me who it is.”

There’s an edge to his voice now, and at this point you’re getting fed up too.

“I told you I don’t want to talk about it! Why are you so fucking obsessed with this?!” You finally call out exasperated, and something inside Eddie snaps as he suddenly states:

“Because I love you, goddamn it! I love you, and the idea that you like someone else fucking hurts, and-“

“What?!”

Shit. Fuck. Fucking shit. He just actually said that out loud, didn’t he?

Well, there goes his most cherished friendship.

“You love me?”

“I-uhm, the thing is, uh, you see-“

“Eddie,” you drop the beer bottles you’ve been holding all along onto the carpet floor.

Fuck the stains.

“Eddie, did you mean that?” You’re getting closer and closer to him, while all the words he knows keep drifting further and further away.

You’re so close now, so utterly, terribly close, and he’s not sure what’s going to happen next until your hand comes up and gently touches his cheek, guiding his face downwards and giving him no choice but to look at you.

He sees you gazing up at him expectantly, with something hopeful shimmering in your eyes, and his head feels like it’s spinning around itself.

“Did you mean that?”

“Does it matter?”

There’s a soft laugh coming from your lips, and Eddie feels like there might be a joke he’s not in on, but he can’t think of anything that would warrant that assessment.

“Did you?”

Fuck it, just say it.

“Yeah,” he whispers, “Yeah I did.”

And you’re beaming. You’re fucking beaming, brighter than your goddamn car headlights, that he usually waits for in the trailer park while he’s stoned out of his mind.

“Can I kiss you?” You question, and it takes him completely by surprise.

“But w-what about your crush?” He stammers, utterly confused.

“Oh, Eddie.”

He doesn’t get it. He really doesn’t get it, both of you think.

“Eddie, do you want to know more about that guy I’ve been so head over heels over?” You ask, voice soft.

What?!

Eddie feels like his head keeps getting dunked into water, and each time he thinks he’s coming back up for air, there’s another bucket of liquid dropped over his head.

“He’s really a great guy, you know. Been crushing on him for months now. Saw him for the first time in this dungy bar my friends kept dragging me to. He was playing that night on that beautiful guitar of his, and I couldn’t take my eyes of him at all. He looked really good on that stage, tall, dark curly hair, metal shirt, long slender fingers that I kept thinking about all night long. His name’s Eddie, by the way and-“

Wait what?!

You can literally see the penny drop, as Eddie's features light up.

“Me?” He wonders, incredulously.

“Yes, dummy, you!” Both of your hands are cupping Eddie’s face now, and you don’t think you’ve ever seen his eyes look at you quite as brightly as they do now.

“Me? You’ve been crushing on me?”

“Yes!” you state, “Do you understand now why I couldn’t fucking tell you about any of it?!”

“You’re telling me, that all this time that I’ve been head over heels for you, you’ve been head over heels for me, too?!”

“Apparently, yeah.”

“Fuck, we are like, so fucking dumb.”

“Tell me about it. Can’t believe Steve was right all along.”

“Wait, so he’s been pestering you with that as well?”

“Who do you think he’s been teasing me about so much, hm?”

“Oh. My. God!” Eddie exclaims, and you laugh at his cheerful expression.

“Wait, so, uh does the kissing offer still-“

You don’t wait for him to finish that sentence, and just press your lips gently against his.

It’s electrifying.

It’s fucking electrifying to finally feel his lips against yours.

The kiss is soft and slightly hesitant at first; but it quickly grows deeper, more desperate, and urgent, and your hands find themselves tangled into Eddie’s dark curls as you try to pull him closer and closer.

Kissing him is addicting, yet you don’t feel like you could ever get enough.

Not when you’ve been dreaming about this for months now; and you still can’t quite believe that this is real.

When you break away after a while, you’re both panting and breathless, and then you’re all over each other again because fuck, it’s been a long time coming.

You can’t help but nibble on his lip playfully, and Eddie straight up moans; a sound that has your mind spinning in all kinds of directions. God, you want him. You’ve been wanting him for so long, and now you finally have him.

“You wanna take this to the bedroom.” Eddie mumbles in between open-mouthed kisses to your neck, and you barely manage to nod, because you feel like you’re melting right then and there.

But it’s all the confirmation Eddie needs before picking you up, carrying you towards your bedroom, while you hold onto him, legs wrapped around his slender waist and arms thrown around his neck. You're both laughing and giggling, and you keep kissing him because how could you not?

For the first time since living in Hawkins, you’re actually quite glad that your apartment is on the smaller side, and you find your way to the bed rather quickly.

Eddie lays you down on it gently, eyes nothing but soft and full of love as he towers over you.

“Can’t believe this is happening. Can’t believe that you’re finally mine,” he mumbles, while you brush your hands gently through his hair.

“Neither can I,” you admit, “Been wanting this for so fucking long,”

Eddie just hums at that, his lips back on your skin, and the small whimper that escapes yours has Eddie’s lips twitch in a smile.

“I’m still sorry about that horror movie fiasco,” he gently teases in between soft kisses, and this time it’s your turn to playful, as you state:

“Well, lucky you, I have an idea how you can make it up to me again.”

The look on your face tells Eddie everything he needs to know, but he still likes to play clueless.

“Oh, intriguing. Tell me all about it.” He says, voice just as playful and full of adoration.

And without much hesitation you do.

It turns out to be that kind of 'conversation' that lasts all night long, and has your voice all hoarse and shit at the end of it – something that you know your friends won’t let you live you down in the morning;

But who cares about that right now, when you have Eddie fucking Munson between your legs.

You certainly don’t.

___________________

And, that's it! Hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading if you've made it this far!

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson imagine #stranger things fanfiction #eddie munson fluff

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ygreczed-3 · 3 years ago

Photo

The Walking Dead/Detroit Become Human AU

(so basically I was tempted to make a post to apologize about the mess my blog has become lately - feels like I’m posting AUs, artworks, sketches and comic updates in such a chaotic way… I’m really sorry about it ahaha 😅 Hopefully it will get better soon)

So this post is me drawing for hours and forgetting to eat on my break day (I finally did !!! Don’t worry ahaha) because I became obsessed with an idea again. Also I like to make concept arts and storyboards as if I was working on a professional project for a TV show/animation. I find it fascinating ! This time I don’t really have any plot or finished story, I just wanted to draw these scenes badly so… I just did.

I’d like to draw your attention to Connor’s curly hair and Hank’s design (strongly inspired by Kristoff from Frozen). I just LOVE these details.

⚠️Remember this is NOT a new series. Just me having fun with characters and a universe I like (aka The Walking Dead) !

Anyway, more ideas below 👀

*POW*

Hank open his eye again. The walker was shot in the head. Hank pushes the walker away, it falls dead on the concrete.

Looking up, he sees Connor with a gun.

Hank : Jesus… Thank you. I thought I was…

Connor : I wouldn’t have wasted a bullet for you if it wasn’t for your kid back there. Your car, does it work? Hank : … Yeah… I just… I was looking for some gas when… well… Can I drive you somewhere? Connor : Not really, I’m looking for someone.

___________________________

Hank and Cole are walking in a gas station with jerricans and pour what’s left of gas from the pump.

Cole : Dad, that mister from earlier, do you think he’s gonna be okay ? Hank : I think, pumpkin. He was the one helping us. Cole : Being alone sounds dangerous… He should have come with us. Hank : …

___________________________

It’s nighttime, Cole is sleeping in the backseats with a blanket, Hank is sleeping in the driver seat. He wakes up brutally as he hears something tapping softly against the car window : the young man from earlier. He rolls the window down.

Hank : You ? Connor : I’ve looked around the whole city. Now it’s too dark… I need a safe place to have some sleep, I was thinking you could let me in. You owe me after all. Hank : … Yeah sure. Get in.

Connor gets in the car. He takes his bag off and keeps it by his side, out of Hank’s reach. He takes his coat off but keeps a gun near him. Hank stares at him with narrowed eyes.

Hank : … You’re safe here, really. You can trust me. Connor : Sorry, but I only trust myself.

___________________________

It’s dark outside, Hank can’t really sleep with the stranger next to him. His guts dictate him to stay alert. He watches carefully as Connor turns his head to him, half-opening his eyes.

Connor: Can’t sleep ? Hank : … Well you were right… I don’t know you. What about you ? Did you sleep a little ? Connor : … No. I’m too… cautious. My brain won’t let me sleep with a stranger next to me. Hank : … My name’s Hank. You ? Connor : What the hell are you doing ? Hank : We agreed we couldn’t sleep next to strangers. I’m introducing myself. Connor : It won’t make it any better… *after a silence* I’m Connor. Hank : Nice to meet you. Connor: … Where were you before ? You… you act like a newborn in this hell… Hank : … I had a neighbor with one of those bunkers… with tons of food, water, enough to live for months. We… We were hiding there with her until… until a few weeks. Connor : What happened ? Hank : She thought she had heard a chopper. Thought someone was out there to rescue us… she opened the hatch and she was… attacked by those things… Connor: … the kid… he’s yours? Hank : Yeah… Cole. Connor: … Where’s her mom ? Hank : He’s never known her. Connor: Sorry. Hank : Don’t be.

*silence*

Hank : I think… I’m starting to relax… we should try to sleep huh ?

Connor is already sleeping.

___________________________

Connor takes his backpack as Hank and Cole take a breakfast with some fire.

Hank : You sure you don’t want to eat anything ? Connor : No thanks, I have my own stock. You should save your food for your kid. Hank : … Hey, if you ever need to find us… after you’ve found what you’re looking for, I have a police radio. Frequency 58,7 kHz. Connor: I won’t need it but- thanks. Good luck.

Connor leaves.

___________________________

Cole : What should we do now? Hank : … We need to find more food… and weapons. I’ll go downtown today. You… You’ll stay here alright? Cole : No I… I want to stay with you… Hank : I know you’re scared Cole… But it’s too dangerous. You’ll be safe hidden in the car. Cole : You’ll be quick? Hank : Back before sunset, pinky swear.

___________________________

Hank finds an axe on a bar counter.

Suddenly : *BONG BONG BONG BONG*

Hank : What the-

He runs outside and hides against a wall as walkers pass nearby, heading to the source of the ringing.

He looks up and sees Connor climbing on a ladder but a Walker is trying to grab his leg.

Hank comes and kills the monster. Connor : You..! Follow me !

On the rooftop, they see the church. It’s an automatic bell, the walkers are massively getting around the building. There is something painted on the wall that says “Find Jericho” with black paint and scribbled under it “Find 9s”

Connor : Nines… Hank : What is Jericho ? Connor : … A safe place for survivors. It’s hidden… to keep the thieves and killers away. Hank : … The church. Connor : What ? Hank : Jericho, it has to do with the bible. The message is written on a church’s wall. It’s not a coincidence, there might be… a hint in there. Connor : … But we can’t get inside with those creeps around… Hank : … Maybe they leave when the church stops ringing the bells. Connor : Or maybe we should try to lead them away with… Hank : With what ? Connor : … Your car.

___________________________

Connor : So, let me get it straight. You drive around the town honking. It will attract the creeps away from the church. I get inside the church and look for any kind of hint. When the bells start ringing I get out before the creeps come back. And what do we do with Cole ?

Hank : He’s going with you. I don’t want to have him in the car with hundreds of undeads trying to get me. Connor : … I don’t- Hank : Don’t worry. He’s a smart kid. He will do as you say. Right Cole? Cole : …Hmm. Connor: … Fine. Let’s do it.

___________________________

Connor and Cole sneak into the church. Connor kills two of the Walkers still inside the church as Cole follows him cautiously.

Cole : … Look. *he points out a book on the altar* Connor : … It’s a bible… The chapter about the Battle of Jericho… it can’t be a coincidence. *They look up and see something written with old blood on the wall behind the altar. It says “Rahab the harlot defied the King of Jericho. Here lies the key to the fortress.”* Cole : What’s a harlot? Connor : … You should… ask your father. Now… I have to read… and think. Cole : … We only have one hour left before the bells ring again… Connor : I know.

___________________________

Connor : … I don’t get it ! There must be something I’m missing ! Cole : … Connor, I found a map ! Connor : Not now Cole, I’m trying to focus… Cole : Connor, look ! Connor : Cole please I really need-…

Cole shows him the map… there is a “9s” written on it.

Connor : Nines ! Cole : Does it help ? Connor : … I don’t know-…

The bells ring suddenly.

Connor : Crap… we have to get out of here. Give me your hand, buddy.

___________________________

Hank is waiting for them : he has lit a fire and when Cole sees him, he lets go of Connor’s hand and runs to hug his dad.

Hank : I gotcha, pumpkin. *looking up at Connor* Did you find something ? Connor : I think… Hank : You think ? Connor : I have this map my brother left for me inside the church… there was some kind of riddle on the wall, and it must have something to do with this but… there is nothing noted on it. Hank : What’s the riddle ? Connor : “Rahab the harlot defied the King of Jericho, here lies the key to the fortress.” Rahab was a prostitute, she helped Joshua by hiding spies he sent inside the city… and Joshua spared her when he took the fortress. But I… I don’t see the connection. Hank : … Let me see the map.

Connor gives it. Cole sits next to his father, near the fire, and soon falls asleep. After some time thinking and overthinking it, Hank finally points to a town on the map. A city called Defiance.

Hank : Look. Connor : Defiance… Of course. The key lies in Rahab’s defiance… Defiance is a town… Fuck- You’re a genius…! Hank : Man, I was feeling like a Detective again… felt nice for a moment. Connor: You were a Detective? Hank : A police Lieutenant, to be specific. But yeah. Detective works too. Connor : … I don’t think the treasure hunt is done yet. You’re gonna need your supercop sense again ! Hank : … It’s good to see you all excited. Feels like meeting the real Connor under the survivor’s shell. Connor: It’s nice… that Cole and you don’t have that shell yet… humanity is a rare thing to find down there. Hank : … So, who is “Nines” ? Connor : My little brother. We lived together, in the same group of survivors. Our camp was attacked… we got separated. Hank : Looks like he’s smart. He solved the riddle all by himself. It took the two of us to understand the hint. Connor : He’s always been a nerd. Hank : Pffft… Well we should try to get some sleep. We should be able to reach Stoneton, then we’ll have to find more gas.

Hank gets up and carries Cole to the car seats.

Connor: … Hank…? Hank : Yup ? Connor : Can I… Can I come with you two ? I could go to Defiance by myself but… if you’re heading there too, maybe we could… Hank : What the heck ? Of course you’re coming with us. With our two half-brains we’re gonna need each other’s help to find Jericho and your brother, don’t you think ? Connor *chuckles* : Right.

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