#nancy's d&d adventures

[aceofwonders]

the image of emyr dissociating with fire reflecting in his good eye....which turns into him hyper ventilating and sobbing "I'm sorry" over and over again upon three failed wisdom saves (the visions of anita getting worse and worse)

[darlingi-loveyou]

my theories:

- bianca, either in the form of a dream or whoever she was reincarnated as (estelle??)

- NOT luke, because he was already mentioned in the senior year adventures in a way that makes me think they’ve both healed and that we’re done with him

- nancy

- zöe, in the form of a dream

- ethan, in the form of a dream

- silena and/or charlie, in the form of a dream (or maybe they visit them in the underworld but that might be a stretch)

- the statue of gabe

- may castellan

- i want to say castor and/or pollux but honestly i don’t really think they’d be a “shake-up” for percy and

- hermes

things i WANT to see in the new book:

- either my bianca, gabe, or nancy theories to be true

- more zeus slander

- more ganymede

- camp

- mr. d

- more sally and paul (i know we will but i love them sm)

[detectivereads]

2025 Anticipated books

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year, I hope everyone is well. Ok I am super excited for this year. I have so many books to look forward to this year. I am hoping to read more books from the Twisted Tale series.

Fantasy

Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson- I love D&D, and this is a campaign that I really want to get play. One of my bookish goals is to get the book “I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire”. I find vampires fascinating. Now this book the description doesn’t give too much away. All we do know is that a group of adventurers are summoned by the dark lord of Barvoia.

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon- I love to watch Critical Role campaigns! I came in at campaign two and I love all the characters (I do need to finish listening to it). But a well know romance book called “Tusk Love” is prominent in the campaign. I am interested in reading it, since this was such a vocal point for comedy in the campaign.

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree- I jumped for joy when I saw that book three of my favorite fantasy series is get another book. I am a little disappointed that the main character is not Viv, but a character from Bookshops & Bonedust but I am still happy that we are getting a new book.

Heartbroken by Serna Valentino- this is a book in the Villains series by Disney. I haven’t read any books in this series, but this has one of my favorite Disney villains front and center her royal majesty the Queen of Hearts. So, I will have to wait and see if I like the series.

Roll for Danger: The Cursed Catacombs by Nick Eliopulos- this is a choose your own adventure like book and the author of the Deephaven books are illustrating the book. Looks like it’s the standard newbie adventure of a quest to find a special flower/treasure in some caves. I am looking forward to reading this.

Fool’s Gold: Death by Karaoke by Jenna Woldenga, Felix Irnich, Christopher Hastings, Avery Howett, Princess Abella- This, this book is the book that has made my MVB (Most Important Book) for this year. I love watching Dingo Doodles’ series, besides Critical Role, I think she is one of the D&D people that got me interested in playing. But the big question that I have for the series is are we going to get answers about the ship that was in the purple crystal.

Mystery

Strange Houses by Uketsu- I have been collecting the manga, and when I found out that the states is getting a translated version of the original novel I am totally stoke for it. This is one of my first Japanese mysteries and I am glad that I took the leap when the manga came out, I can’t wait for this one to come out.

Nancy Drew Diaries: Superstitions of “The Scottish Play” by Carolyn Keene- Nancy Drew still alive and well and I am very interested in this book. Now with a little knowledge about the Scottish play this mystery I have high hopes.

My Little Pony Maretime Mysteries by Stephanie Williams- I haven’t watched the new series with the new ponies, but this is a mystery so I am looking forward to reading it.

Cozy Mysteries:

Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert- the title stuck out to me, I do get some dark academia vibes, but I’ll have to wait and see if I am right. So, the main character Jennifer Dalton, who is an author/teacher at the university. Her coworkers are a bit snooty, saying that she writes fiction. One of her students got into a fight with another teacher and the teacher turned up dead, with the student becoming suspect number 1.  So, Jennifier gets a team of amateur sleuths together to see what happens. It sounds interesting and I am always looking for a new cozy to read.

Killing Me Souffle by Ellie Alexander- the latest Bakeshop mystery book the cover art is always a treat (ha) to look at. I am still working my way through the whole series, but the Bakeshop series has always been a go too to de-stress from a chaotic day.

The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien- Yes, I love this series, I am an avid fan of the series, and I am always happy when I see a new book.

Murder By Cheesecake: a Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage- I am very curious about this book; I have watched that episode where the ladies took part in murder mystery weekend (and yes that is one of my favorite episodes). I am hoping that this will be a series, and I do hope there are plenty of clap backs that the girls are known for.

Bait and Swiss a Cheese Shop mystery by Korina Moss- I have been a fan of the series for a while now and I have been interested to know about Willa’s Ex best friend and fiancé since it was mentioned. I guess the title is very appropriate since it has got my attention.

Misc

Escape the Pizzaplex by Scott Cawthon, Lyndasy Ely- YES new year new Freddy’s book that is coming out. My opinion I love the original games very much, but I love the creativity of the Security Breach. From the looks of it we are playing the character Cassie.

Manga

Sherlock Holmes Vol 1 A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arhtur Conan Doyle- I was surprised that that they started making classic stories into manga. But when I saw that they were making Sherlock Holmes (I know they made a manga series for the BBC Sherlock) I am interested in collecting the series. I am hoping that they might make some Agatha Christie manga too.

Usotoki Rhetoric vol 10 by Ritsu Miyako- I discovered this manga last year and I have been hooked on it from the get-go. I am sad that this is the last volume in the series, but I can’t wait to read it.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Author Conan Doyle- Not much is said about this one, but I guess I’ll wait and see.

Detectives These Days are Crazy! Vol 1 by Masakuni Iharashi- I came across this series by accident but since Usotoki Rhetoric is ending I do need to find another series to fill the place for it.

I have many more books this year but these 19 books are the ones that I am most interested in and if write anymore books down, I think this would be a 4 page list but these are just the ones that are on my bookish radar for the moment that I have been looking forward too since 2024.

What are some of your anticipated books for the year?

[fandom]

Ships

Unexpected connections happen in two places: the Ships list and Feeld—a dating app for the curious. On Feeld, finding like-minded people is as fulfilling as finding yourself. In celebration of ships, here are this year’s iconic connections.

Ineffable Husbands +17 Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens

Steddie Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Stranger Things

Destiel Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural

Byler -3 Will Byers & Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things

Wenclair Wednesday Addams & Enid Sinclair, Wednesday

Bowuigi Bowser & Luigi, the Super Mario Bros. franchise

Huntlow +7 Hunter & Willow Park, The Owl House

Avatrice Ava Silva & Beatrice, Warrior Nun

Hannigram +2 Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal

Buddie -4 Evan Buckley & Edmundo Diaz, 9-1-1

Vashwood Vash the Stampede & Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Trigun Stampede

Zelink +80 Zelda & Link, The Legend of Zelda

Lumity -6 Luz Noceda & Amity Blight, The Owl House

Ghostsoap Simon “Ghost” Riley & John “Soap” MacTavish, the Call of Duty franchise

Blackbonnet -11 Edward Teach/Blackbeard & Stede Bonnet, Our Flag Means Death

Wolfstar +8 Remus Lupin & Sirius Black, the Harry Potter universe

Merthur +12 Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin

Jegulus +25 James Potter & Regulus Black, the Harry Potter universe

Bumbleby +48 Yang Xiao Long & Blake Belladonna, RWBY

Bakudeku -4 Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Boku no Hero Academia

Dreamling -1 Dream of the Endless & Hob Gadling, The Sandman

Soukoku +60 Nakahara Chuuya & Dazai Osamu, Bungou Stray Dogs

Firstprince Alex Claremont-Diaz & Prince Henry of Wales, Red, White & Royal Blue

Wesper Wylan Van Eck & Jesper Fahey, the Grishaverse

Wangxian -8 Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Mo Dao Zu Shi

Satosugu +23 Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru, Jujutsu Kaisen

Imodna +8 Imogen Temult & Laudna, Critical Role

Kanej +44 Kaz Brekker & Inej Ghafa, the Grishaverse

Bubbline Princess Bubblegum & Marceline, Adventure Time

Ladynoir -17 Ladybug & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Twiyor +6 Loid Forger & Yor Forger, SPY x FAMILY

Loustat +43 Louis de Pointe du Lac & Lestat de Lioncourt, Interview with the Vampire

Zosan Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, One Piece

Marichat -12 Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Serirei +65 Serizawa Katsuya & Reigen Arataka, Mob Psycho 100

Adrienette -21 Adrien Agreste & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Chenford +24 Lucy Chen & Tim Bradford, The Rookie

Petrigrof Simon Petrikov & Betty Grof, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Kavetham Kaveh & Alhaitham, Genshin Impact

Griddlehark +54 Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus, The Locked Tomb series

Raeda -13 Raine Whispers & Eda Clawthorne, The Owl House

Tomgreg -19 Tom Wambsgans & Greg Hirsch, Succession

Hanamusa Jessie & Delia Ketchum, the Pokémon franchise

Zolu Roronoa Zoro & Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece

Narumitsu -12 Phoenix Wright & Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney

Sonadow +23 Sonic & Shadow, Sonic the Hedgehog

Ineffable Bureaucracy Archangel Gabriel & Beelzebub, Good Omens

Spirk +9 Spock & James Kirk, Star Trek

Ballister x Ambrosius Ballister Boldheart & Ambrosius Goldenloin, Nimona

Nandermo -42 Nandor the Relentless & Guillermo de la Cruz, What We Do in the Shadows

Jonmartin -15 Jonathan Sims & Martin Blackwood, The Magnus Archives

Punkflower Hobie Brown & Miles Morales, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

AkiAngel Aki Hayakawa & the Angel Devil, Chainsaw Man

Ronance -49 Robin Buckley & Nancy Wheeler, Stranger Things

Superbat -11 Superman & Batman, the DC universe

Shuake Ren Amamiya/Joker & Goro Akechi, Persona 5

Geraskier -48 Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier, The Witcher

Hualian -18 Hua Cheng & Xie Lian, Tian Guan Ci Fu

Sulemio Suletta Mercury & Miorine Rembran, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Sterek -5 Stiles Stilinski & Derek Hale, Teen Wolf

Gumlee Prince Gumball & Marshall Lee, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Shadowpeach Sun Wukong & the Six-Eared Macaque, Lego Monkie Kid

Drarry -29 Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, the Harry Potter universe

Wilmon Prince Wilhelm & Simon Eriksson, Young Royals

Harringrove -34 Steve Harrington & Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things

Kazurei Suwa Rei & Kurusu Kazuki, Buddy Daddies

Lestappen Charles Leclerc & Max Verstappen, Formula 1 drivers

Zukka -5 Zuko & Sokka, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Codywan +8 Commander Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Solangelo -23 Will Solace & Nico di Angelo, the Percy Jackson universe

Catradora Catra & Adora, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Shadowgast -4 Caleb Widogast & Essek Thelyss, Critical Role

Stucky -43 Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes, the Marvel universe

Tarlos -18 TK Strand & Carlos Reyes, 9-1-1: Lone Star

Johnlock +21 John Watson & Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock

Sasunaru -24 Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto

Locklyle Anthony Lockwood & Lucy Carlyle, Lockwood & Co.

Lokius Loki Laufeyson & Mobius M. Mobius, the Marvel universe

Supercorp -67 Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Supergirl

Piltover's Finest Caitlyn Kiramman & Vi, Arcane

Helnik Matthias Helvar & Nina Zenik, the Grishaverse

Prohibitedwish Scarab & Prismo, Adventure Time

Klance -12 Keith & Lance, Voltron: Legendary Defender

Reylo Rey & Kylo Ren, the Star Wars universe

Hanazawa Teruki & Kageyama Shigeo, Mob Psycho 100

Cockles -44 Misha Collins & Jensen Ackles, Actors

Percabeth -46 Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase, the Percy Jackson universe

Astarion x Tav Astarion & Tav, Baldur's Gate 3

Timkon Tim Drake & Conner Kent, Young Justice

Davekat Dave Strider & Karkat Vantas, Homestuck

Cynonari Cyno & Tighnari, Genshin Impact

Creek Craig Tucker & Tweek Tweak, South Park

Klapollo Apollo Justice & Klavier Gavin, Ace Attorney

Style Stan Marsh & Kyle Brovlofski, South Park

Korrasami -11 Korra & Asami Sato, The Legend of Korra

Bill x Frank Bill & Frank, The Last of Us

Nick x Charlie -51 Nick Nelson & Charlie Spring, Heartstopper

Dreamnotfound -50 Dreamwastaken & GeorgeNotFound, Streamers

Dinluke -33 Din Djarin & Luke Skywalker, the Star Wars universe

Rhaenicent Rhaenyra Targaryen & Alicent Hightower, House of the Dragon

The number in italics indicates how many spots a ship moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded ships weren’t on the list last year. Explore your desires on Feeld. Within a safer, inclusive space, you can feel free to connect more intimately to yourself and others. Choose from over 20 gender and sexuality options and explore solo, or with a partner. Curious? Download the app today.

[teambyler]

Stranger Things 5 speculation based on the episode titles and what we know from D&D

Vanishing of Holly Wheeler?

I already shared that I think Episode 2 is Holly Wheeler: "IF this information is accurate, I'm guessing the missing Wheeler is Holly. They have a new actress to play her. I think they're returning to s1 themes and the horror of a child being in danger is one thing they might get back to. The 1st episode would give them time to make her a character we care about. (And probably stabilize the situation at the end of s4.) It would also consume the entire Wheeler family into getting Holly back. Karen will be beside herself. Nancy will be tough and take charge. Will will have to unearth his memories of the Upside Down, and possibly use his connection, to help MIKE and NANCY get back their little sister. One possible road to BYLER is Will having to reexperience his trauma and possibly sacrifice himself to help his best friend."

Camazotz

I see a LOT of interest in episode 6 title "Escape from Camazotz"... I think for ANY speculation we HAVE to go to where our D&D nerds would go, which is the Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks in the 80s. Camazotz was published in Deities & Demigods for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1980). It is the "bat god," so we're probably going to see it tied to the demobats.

We learn from Deities & Demigods that the Aztec and Mayan gods have "inscrutable motives"... which is ON BRAND for the Cthulhu inspirations of Stranger Things. These gods come from a "parallel universe." Clerics "are the elite of the populace," and are able to cast "commune or gate spells" to connect the planes together. ("Will the Wise" has been the cleric of the party... perhaps he is a cleric?)

Also, these gods "unusual nature makes it impossible for them to travel on any planes but the ones that they have worshipers on." Maybe Vecna needed to have a host on the "Right Side Up", to take form here, which is very consistent with the s2 and s3 plotlines.

The clerics perform human sacrifices... maybe another theme in s5??

But perhaps JUST as important, the adventure D&D module Hidden Shrine of Tomoachan (1980) involved an ancient temple dedicated to Camazotz. Odds are that our heroes will be trying to escape from a "temple" within the Upside Down. According to the Wikipedia article about this adventure, it is "full of tricks and traps".

As a "tournament module," meaning for competition purposes, and it was EXPECTED that heroes died in it because it was so deadly. The goal "is to get out of the ruins before time runs out." The lower levels (where the heroes begin) have a poisonous gas that slowly kill them. Also it is very unstable, spells will cause a collapse. If El were caught in it, it might be dangerous to use her powers.

This adventure debuted the gibbering mouther, a very distinct D&D monster that is VERY reminiscent of the s3 Flayer and would be VERY on-theme for Stranger Things:

The Sorcerer

Also, Episode 5 is titled "The Sorcerer." Sorcerer was not a class yet in D&D in the late 1980s. (The idea that Sorcerers have innate arcane power versus Wizards who study magic, was not invented yet until 2000.) Sorcerer was one of the many titles that Magic Users had (next to Wizard). Sorcerers had less power than Wizards. They were 9th level, while Wizards were 11th level:

It is already established that El is "the Wizard." Maybe there's another person with powers in season 5 which are less developed? If so, the most logical choice would be Will. It's confirmed that this season will focus on him. Although he's a "cleric" in their D&D game, maaaaybe he finds out he has new abilities. There was a reason Vecna didn't kill in season 1, and who has had "truesight" since.

That's what I can find for now! There's a lot of interesting traps and puzzles, with illustrations, from the adventure. But it's hard to predict what else (if anything) they might borrow from it! The aspect of escaping, and the poison gas and the timer, are probably what we can most rely on!

P.S. I mainly blog about Byler, but I thought my D&D knowledge would be useful for this one. If interested, follow and read my blog! I have so much to say!

[steviewashere]

I have an idea for a hefty project that will have to wait until January or so, but please hear me out on it.

A choose your own adventure style fic/art/animation thing, but from Robin's perspective with the help of narration in a third person style; i.e....You are kneeled on the ground, you hear a rustling coming from the dark corner, you...that sort of thing. (Y'know, like a D&D game may be narrated).

It would focus on Robin's perspective surrounding Steve showcasing odd, inhuman behaviors. Such as her picking up on the fact that Steve chitters and growls while he's talking, but he brushes it off as his voice getting too loud or trying to clear his throat. She notices that he wears a bandana all the time, but he tries to argue that he's concerned about the Upside Down particles; though that would confuse her, considering her and Nancy both inhaled those particles, same as Dustin. So on and so forth. Until she's met with a very animalistic version of Steve—one that betrays himself, that pushes her around, frightens her, and locks her away from him.

She tells the others, but they don't believe her. Leading her to have to collect her own evidence. So she stalks Steve around. Which leads her to the forest behind his house. She's hidden by a tree trunk, but in the clearing, she spots what looks like Steve bent over something—but this Steve is lankier, sweatier, gnarlier; unhinged jaw, longer limbs, glinting sharp teeth—and what looks like a very alive, blood coated, hissing, feral Eddie Munson; matted hair, fangs, demogorgon style flaps on his jaw. (Some other cool things happen in this encounter, but I don't want to give too much away just in case I do go through with this).

Eventually, Steve would approach her about it. Tell her not to tell anybody else. Tell her that he can't help it, that he doesn't want to be this thing either, that he doesn't have control like he used to. And, as Robin, you can choose whether or not to tell him the truth. You'd be prompted with a decision: Tell Steve What You've Told the Others OR Tell Steve That His Secret is Safe With You.

Whatever your decision is, this will affect the story much, much later.

I will say, again I don't want to give too much away, that this will be a major character death thing. Steve would die trying to protect Robin from monsters like him. And in that, Robin would need to dispose of his corpse so that those monsters can't consume his actual body, too. She'd have to set him on fire—because, y'know, the demo-creatures don't like the warmth.

And in that moment, the narration would essentially be something like: "You stand over your best friend's body. The acrid smell of burning flesh flaring through your nostrils. Flames, yellow and orange and bright, grow higher and higher. For a brief moment, you are reminded of sunlight—which you haven't seen, not since Spring Break. You look at the red sky above you and try to picture it, the sun. It's a light. A yellow light. It reminds you of pasts, what held in the future. Of the yellow fluorescent light of bathroom stalls, sitting on an unwashed floor, vomit crusted mouths and urine stained shorts—there was laughter peeling from the walls, as you sat across from a guy you barely knew, but wholly trusted with a secret you've never told anybody. He showed you the stars. And, now, you are reminded of the sun—a star—Steve Harrington is the sun. And if the sun is a star, then Steve Harrington is the stars, which you haven't seen since Spring Break. You look away from the sky, to the enormous flames. His clothes make lumps in the glow. Distantly, you swear you hear laughter. Will you tell Steve Harrington a secret?"

And then you'd be prompted with 'yes' or 'no'. The first secret, depending on whether or not you lied to Steve earlier would be something like: "I told the others about you." or, alternatively, "I shouldn't have told them, that was your secret, not theirs. I'm sorry."

Y'know, and then there'd be like two more narrations like the one above and some more prompts about secrets.

And after a while, you (as Robin) would watch the flames die out, the color splashing your face until it's nothing. Words would echo around you, Steve's last words, urgent and pressing and more desperate than the way Eddie had said them, "Make him pay."

You would make do on that promise, bring a plan forth to somebody who would understand, Nancy Wheeler. You'd tell her what happened to Steve, why you have to go through with this plan (I am using vague language here because I don't know what the plan would be). And maybe Nancy would tell you that you're being irrational, that this is no way to go about it.

And, as Robin, you'd turn to her and say something along the lines of:

"He killed my best friend. He took your best friend, Nancy. Whatever his next move is, it's going to be wilder. He's going to take more, don't you get that? If we let him idle any longer, Hawkins is toast. We're toast. I'm not going to let him take anything else, I'm not going to let him hurt anybody else. Either you're with me, Nancy, or I blow this fucker's head off on my own. Which will it be?"

And, I'm imagining that Robin and Nancy would grow close—romantically close, platonically close, you can decide—but this newfound confidence, however ugly and sneering it is in Robin, persuades Nancy. They'll go through with Robin's plan.

If only Robin didn't deter from her own plan. If she wasn't so set on revenge more than plain vengeance. If she didn't mow down anything standing in her way, even if it's seemingly innocent people.

Nancy would have to get through to Robin, then. Her own monologue.

"I've been here, Robin. I know what this is like. You think the whole world is against you, that they don't believe you. And it feels like that. I know it feels like that. But if you turn away all of the people who want to help, if you keep on like this, you're going to be all alone in the end. You'll turn. Change. You won't win this way, Robin. None of us will. If you want to be a hero, then you're going to do it in an honest way. None of this bullshit that you're trying to pull."

Hehe, anyway, that's really as far as I've got. Y'know, other than the fact that I know I want Eleven to be the one that delivers the final blow/attack to Vecna, not Robin. But something about Robin being presented with awful, real horrors—her fear of Steve changing, getting sick being true, realized and fleshed...I think that would change part of her. And something about a torn Robin, brutalized by the loss of somebody close to her that she trusted, that she loved—all of that is just so delicious to me. With a bonus of Ronance, platonically or romantically—these two parallels that are now connected at the root by major loss—is something so beautiful to me. I've also got so many poetically charged narrations in my head. (Also, it's sorta small and I didn't touch on it much here, but there's Steddie. They're just sorta changed and non-human and very oddball.)

But listen, this is something that's not fully planned out. Something that would take a lot of work and simply unimportant focus. And, y'know, it's in this narrative that people don't usually like reading—which I get, but would hinder how this would be received.

I just have so many cool ideas for it. Would anybody, anybody at all, be interested in this?

[steddiebang2024]

a stout heart, a good bow, and a merry life | M | 75k

Author: @cuoredimuschio

Artist: @hereforanepilogue

Banner Artist: @hellfiredemon

Beta Reader: @readerofportrait

[Link to fic]  |  [Link to art]

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, Lucas Sinclair/Max Mayfield, Past Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Past Chrissy Cunningham/Jason Carver

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, Wayne Munson, Jeff, Gareth, Unnamed Freak, Eleven/Jane Hopper, Mike Wheeler, Jason Carver, Steve Harrington’s Father, Minor OCs

Tags: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Robin Hood Fusion, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Meet-Ugly, Mutual Pining, Falling In Love, Action/Adventure, Minor Violence, Betrayal, Supernatural Elements, Borrowed D&D Lore, Archery, Minor Character Death, POV Steve Harrington, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Gay Eddie Munson, Trans Male Character

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, minor gore/violence, minor character death, implied transphobia

↳ Keep reading below for a summary!

After faltering under the weight of expectation and failing to live up to his family’s formidable reputation once more, Steve is sent away from the kingdom of Hawkins. To where, his father doesn’t care, so long as it’s far enough that he cannot inflict any more damage upon the now-sullied Harrington name.

But Steve and his fellow travelers don’t make it more than a few miles into the gruesome, shadow-bound woods that surround Hawkins before their pilgrimage is set upon by thieves: the sort with sharp knives and little qualm about using them. Tossed from his horse, without a weapon, Steve is certain that he’s a goner. Until, that is, a bow-wielding stranger, who happens to be the current biggest thorn in the kingdom’s side, steps in and saves Steve’s life, changing it forever in the process.

When he’s offered a place among Kas the Betrayer’s merry band of ne’er-do-wells, he knows better than to accept it. But he has nowhere else to go and nothing left to lose. Little does he know, as he takes Kas’ hand and allows himself to be pulled into the world cast to the outskirts of the kingdom’s consideration, that far more than a new home is in store for him.

[the-126-family]

Annnnd I’m back! Would’ve sent this earlier but it’s been a day so far. My new question for you is what do you think the 126’s hobbies would be?

I love this question!! And I’m sorry you’ve had a bad day. I hope you can take some time to rest and relax tonight. I'm sending lots of good thoughts your way!!

Paul loves reading, as we know; he's in an LGBTQ+ book club that he really enjoys. He invites Carlos to it and Carlos finds it really meaningful; now they go together once a month! This isn’t a hobby, but in my mind Paul has two cats who he names Sherlock and Watson (because he is such a good detective). He loves playing with them and snuggling with them to read a book or watch a movie. He (and Carlos) tend to watch a lot of documentaries.

Random thought, but Paul would love going to escape rooms so he can get to use his detective skills. The Catan Crew would have SO much fun going to escape rooms together, although Paul and Carlos would figure out most of the clues. Carlos's hobbies include going for runs/exercising and cooking — he loves to experiment with new recipes, and TK is always happy to be his taste tester! 

We know from season 5 that TK is on a softball team! I think it’s not super competitive, mostly recreational, and that Nancy is on the team too. TK invited her to join because he wanted his paramedic bestie to get involved! She gained confidence after being crowned MVP in that Red vs. Blue game, and now it’s something they enjoy doing together, especially to unwind after long or emotionally difficult shifts.

I can see Nancy enjoying those painting and wine classes; she takes Mateo to one on a date. His painting is horrendous, but Nancy absolutely loves it and hangs it up on her wall because it reminds her of how much fun they had that night.

Marjan attempted to learn how to knit during the pandemic, but that did not last long. She was far too impatient and became easily frustrated. She only got like halfway through a lumpy, wonky scarf for Paul before she gave up and burned it. Marjan is very athletic, so I can see her being on a soccer team (since we know she did soccer when she was a kid, and she was really good at it!). And of course she has her roller derby! 

Sometimes Nancy and Marjan get together to play chess. Their matches can last a super long time (their record is almost a week) and they get super competitive with it and take it very seriously. Mateo knows not to bother Nancy when she's in the middle of a game with Marjan and concentrating hard.

Mateo loves Pokemon Go; he’s also part of a D&D group that meets weekly. He loves it — he always excitedly tells the 126 about his group’s various adventures, and his friends don’t really understand it but are happy for him nonetheless. Mateo also loves to take Buttercup for walks and to the dog park; they always have a blast together. 

I had so much fun with this!! Sending lots of hugs to you!

[glimmerlofsea]

Billy Hargrove x Reader

MASTERLIST

I DID IT

Warning : Lots of guilt, mention of scars, and lots of fluff! ;d and platonic relationship, I guess?

WC; 3,0k+

#TALKISSA; okay... before we start, I just want to say thank you for the opportunity you gave me to this Billy Hargrove fanfic that I made! No lie, this is the first time I've uploaded it on Tumblr, I've done it several times on Wattpad, but I want to try something new by writing it on Tumblr! If you don't mind, would you give it a chance by reading this story? I would really appreciate it! Thank you, and happy reading! For those of you who faithfully read my fanfic, I will give you the name 'issea', hihi (sorry I'm bad at giving nicknames). Happy reading, issea!

01:00 AM.

The clock ticking very loudly barged into your ears, people's shouts and shrill sounds almost made you unable to breathe properly.

Your legs couldn't stop shaking since you were waiting in front of the ICU room. You kept putting your thumbnail between your teeth because you were nervous.

You let out a heavy breath, as if you were holding back the tears from coming out, until finally they all came out and you couldn't stop crying in the hospital hallway. Your breath hitched, you were the one who should have stopped breathing forever— Your head should have been on your side, but no, they're convinced you to die.

This all starts with you being trapped between dimensions in Hawkins, just like the Zombie Boy they know but you are strategic enough to make yourself alive.

Of course it brought a lot of heavy trauma, but that incident actually made you enthusiastic about socializing again— even though in the end you were still stuck with Steve and Nancy. Not long after that you met the charming guy who came all the way from California, brought his flashy blue Camaro and made an attractive appearance in his tight jeans. This incident makes you want to enjoy your life even more, who knows you will die at the closest distance and at the wrong time, right?

Your thoughts make the new 'King of Hawkins' interested. If he doesn't make friends with girls, then it's with you that he makes them. Not only because you eliminate his lust, but he feels safe around you.

He is your Chicago. He was.

You were waiting in the hospital in blood-stained clothes, if you hadn't shouted at Joyce to immediately close the gate, maybe Billy would really have died. You felt guilty for yelling at that woman, you could feel Mrs. Byers, but you can't put your friends at risk.

Friends who feel safe around you, who feel like their life depends on your life. You didn't want to lose him, you couldn't.

You kept praying all the time that God would give him another chance, so that you and he could share the time together and the adventures he always wanted while in his hometown, California. You love him, but he doesn't feel worthy of being loved.

You were in your room, tidying up your things, you didn't want Billy to see you when he was fully awake. You were a nightmare for him, you were the one who caused him to have all these nightmares and you hated yourself for it. You did it, I did it, your mind always has images of those 3 sentences.

What would you do? You'll be far away from Hawkins and never come back here, you're too embarrassed and guilt enveloped you and hugged you tightly, not allowing you to let go.

Until Max finally realized what you were doing,

"So what? You're just gonna leave us?!" Max's voice was no less shaking when you first saw Billy's condition, her voice showed that she had been crying, "Y/N, please!"

Without looking at her, you just packed up your clothes to put them in a bag, "I don't want him to see me, Max."

"Exactly, why? Why don't you want him to see you, Y/N? If you leave you'll—"

"—I did it, Max." You said, cutting Max off, looking at Max who was just as puffy as you, "It was my fault."

You sat on the edge of your bed, followed by Max, Max let out a voice, "I don't want to think about it, but you make it sound like murder. Billy bet his life in the hospital, Y/N! You can't just leave like that , you-"

"Let me explain it."

Max was silent when you interrupted her conversation for the second time,

"I never wanted to bring Billy into this interdimensional, supernatural things or whatever you want to call it. And I didn't want him to see me as a crazy psychopath girl who had wandered into another world, Max." You said looking at Max, she watched your words carefully, "That was when I made a stupid condition, he wanted to date me but I said if he could beat any older girl in Hawkins then I would give him a chance. I know I'm fool, but guess what? It's not worth it at all Max, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

"Why are you sorry for, Y/N? I still don't understand."

"That night, he said he was going to date Mrs. Wheeler, that's when he fell into the Upside Down, Max. I know that because at that time I didn't see Mrs. Wheeler coming out of her house, and someone called me, it was Billy, but I didn't hear anything but heard..." You stopped for a moment and looked at Max deeply, "Demogorgon's voice?" She suggested.

You nodded, "But that time was different, it was too roaring and fierce. I wanted to tell Hopper but if it was true that Billy was the host I couldn't help but want to protect him, Max."

Max hugged you, you buried your chin in the little girl's shoulder, she stroked your back, "You're just trying to protect him, that's the point, okay? Don't leave him, Y/N, please. He needs you, we need you."

"You're not gonna change?" Max asked as you sat near Billy's body, which was still on the verge of death and life.

You sighed, "No. I want to contain this blood trail even if it makes me look like a murderer."

The door creaked, you stood up to see who it was, it turned out to be Susan and Neil. Susan with her expression of pity immediately hugged her daughter while Neil didn't even show any emotion at all, sometimes you think why did Billy have to go through this? Why didn't Neil, who fell, deserve more punishment?

"Damn it, I knew he would be very troublesome. Should have finished him off first."

Even though the sound he made was very small, your ears were sharp enough to catch it. You don't know why, but you felt really hurt, like someone was trying to split your heart into several parts.

You stepped towards Neil, "Your son is in a coma, and all you can say is 'he's a troublesome''? For fucks sake, why should God give you a heart to live if you can't use it well?"

You could feel Max holding your arm tightly by the collar, begging you to stop.

Neil chuckled, "Watch your damn mouth, young girl."

"No, watch your damn mouth, Neil. My friend here is trying desperately to survive and you? You're his father hoping he dies? Unbelievable. I can just—"

Neil slapped you, you could feel Max's grip getting tighter.

The door banging sounded very loud,

"Mr. Hargrove, you will be detained for investigation as a result of a domestic violence case, you have the right to speak if you have a lawyer."

Officer Powell forcefully handcuffed Neil's hands. Neil couldn't stop cursing your name but you were happy that Billy could finally live without violence.

You looked at Max, Max hugged you, "Thank you."

Billy hasn't opened his eyes for almost a week, you decide to clean yourself up, the kids visit Billy twice a week to accompany Max.

Sometimes Steve, Robin and Nancy also join in to visit Billy, and also make sure you're okay.

Max is at school, you keep convincing her to focus on school and you will take care of Billy. You were cleaning up some leftover food on the patient's table, tying your hair back and leaving some strands of hair on your right side because Billy loved it.

"I told you it's better on the right side, right?"

The familiar voice that dives into your eardrums makes you flinch, startled, remember a thousand languages and your feelings are mixed and you can't explain how.

You turned your head and saw Billy who was smiling, you quickly hugged Billy very tightly, "Be careful, there are holes in my body." His words made you chuckle in between your tears.

You broke away, "I'll call the doctor." But he held your hand and buried you against his body, for a moment you felt comfortable, but you were afraid of making him hurt, so you made a little distance from him, "Doesn't it hurt?"

"It does. But you're my medicine, aren't you?"

You smiled, “I really missed your voice.”

He was the first to realize that you were crying, tears came out of your eyes, he wiped them with his fingers, while you were still looking at him with your sobs, "I fucking hate seeing you cry. Why are you crying?"

You choked on your sobs, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, if I hadn't told you to do the terms of that stupid sentence maybe you wouldn't..." You couldn't even finish your sentence.

Billy tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear, while you took a deep breath, "What if you don't make it? If the monster does—"

Billy stroked your back, he was so calm, "Sshh.. It's okay, I'm fine, you're fine. That's what's important now, understand? Look at me, do I look like I didn't make it through that maniac incident?"

Your crying began to calm down, you sighed, holding the wound on his stomach carefully, "Yes, a little."

Billy chuckled, he kissed your hair, “I missed you.”

You shook your head, "No. I missed you, asshole."

There he is. The hug he gave seemed to say that you would be safe from whatever would happen to that cursed town, you really hoped that Billy was still Billy after this incident. Just hearing his heartbeat makes you calm, and you don't feel guilty anymore.

Author's Note : Thank you to all the issea who have read it to the end! I really appreciate it and sorry if this sucks because I can't get straight to the romantic story— but I'll try it! ♡

[elizabeth-mitchells]

20 questions for writers

tagged by @sapphicscience thank you! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

135... which is a normal number okay?!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,412,255..... i will not be making any comments about it...

3. What fandoms do you write for?

sooo there's been 22 of them! the ones i've written the most fics for have been Yellowjackets, Stranger Things, Fear Street, and The Old Guard

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Aftermath (Wednesday) - the fic is nice but this is just n° 1 because that fandom was insane (affectionately)

make my menace into someone you'd adore (Stranger Things) - my masterpiece. looking back i can cringe at some d ecisions but people liked it!

through the grief can't fight the feeling of relief (Warrior Nun) - this makes me so happy, this was a really nice one, i wish i had written more of it

five times Deena and Sam met in secret (and one time they didn’t) (Fear Street) - i did Not expect this one to be so popular, that fandom was so active i should've appreciated it more

Elvis cloned by aliens (you never know...) (Stranger Things) - ah how it all started with this ship <3

5. Do you respond to comments?

usually yes! i try to reply to most of them

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i usually avoid angsty endings (i literally wrote an alternate ending bc this one was too sad for me) but out of a handful of sad endings the winner is definitely If I could hold you for a minute (darling, I'd go through it again) aka Laura Lee reincarnates as the bear but that doesn't change her fate (also helloo prev same fic title kinda?)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

so there are many that are just pure fluff and joy and fun but! considering it's the most hearbreaking piece of media on the list and i gave it the best happy ending i could, i'm gonna go for heaven on earth, back again about the movie Gia

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not really! i think two people were a bit annoyed i made a lottienat fic secretly a lottielee fic. but i have no regrets 🤭

9. Do you write smut?

sometimes! 14 times to be exact

10. Do you write crossovers?

two times! and let me tell you i'd say both are at least a bit unexpected

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes once! 【翻译】Being with you (Makes the flame burn good) by R_H_Felidae_Athena

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no :( i tried to but we never finished it

14. What is your all-time favorite ship?

most difficult question ever to me <3 there's always going to be something extra special about dani/jamie from bly manor though!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

all of them 😭😭 or at least most of them. sadly

16. What are your writing strengths?

another difficult question! personally i'd say characterization, hopefully

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

uhhhh probably something along the lines of commitment or confidence

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i think it's okay! i've definitely overdone it in the past though so now i like it a little bit less

19. First fandom you wrote for?

ocean's 8! the milfs compelled me...

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

oohh i love so many of them! God's very simple and love shouldn't burn is my lottielee masterpiece BUT i think the crown should go to If you rewrite your life, may I still play a part?  the Nancy Wheeler Choose Your Own Adventure fic. it took the most work i think! and i'm very proud of it

tagging (no pressure!): @dufrau @ongreenergrasses @lilolilyr @monstrous-femme any any other writers that want to share!

[aceofwonders]

emyr is such a strange pc experience...early on the rp got away from me and i realized i dug a hole and made a shitty character (not in substance but like personality) which really cemented during the trial/demon nonsense

i myself panicked in between sessions and was so anxious about making "horrible" choices (which is why we had the whole emyr trying to "reject" the demon deal when talking to riya/deon)

BUT i eventually realized that was like 90% my own anxiety and with what i had created with emyr? narratively it made more sense for him to stick with the deal as his whole motivation centered on saving his mother and fuck everything else (he already made that sort of decision in the past and he hadn't learnt a damn thing)

so basically i went fuck it! i can commit to this pc being a piece of shit and it won't be the end of the world i just need to communicate with the dm and players and not panikin anakin about it internally

[love-toxin]

If Nancy's an elf queen, what would everyone else dress up as? I vote (half)orc barbarian for Steve 👀 (no shirt allowed btw). and for Robin... 🤔 I'm thinking tabaxi maybe? (maybe I just wanna see her wearing cat ears...) and angelface could be anything idk <3

yessss.....YESSSSSS HEHEHE

(cws: fruity four, d&d roleplay, plugs, a little hint at some spicier roleplay)

Steve gets a heap of leather straps and fur for his half-orc barbarian costume, his body mostly exposed save for the 'x' crossed over his pecs and the fur pelt that's tied around his waist, plus a pair of striking leather boots and some wrist guards with straps that lace up to his forearms and loop around. Eddie wants to put a little body paint on him to complete the look but Steve keeps refusing, up until the rest of you hold his arms back and smile at how he swaps between being furious and giggling at the tickling sensation of the paintbrush on his skin. you all agreed to go whole hog for this, and you weren't expecting it to be perfect but damn does Steve look good with those crimson handprints all over him, along with some markings down his cheeks so it looks like he's been crying blood. metal.

Robin's look is sexy for completely different reasons--when she comes out from the bathroom, the cat ear headband tucked under her hair is plenty cute, and the simple blouse tucked into her tight skirt is adorable on her frame. but the droopy cat tail she's got with a hole cut through her bottoms to lead it through is an awesome touch, although she swipes at you when you go to touch it and yelps when Nancy's hand manages to shoot out and grab it. and it's made very clear by that deep scarlet blush heating up her face that it's not just for aesthetics, and when she awkwardly whispers to you and Nance that it's really a tail, you both get the gist and giggle with each other as you tease her and stroke her fuzzy appendage, in the hopes that the plug it's attached to will shift around a little more inside her.

Eddie and Nancy's costumes are pretty standard in comparison; his ranger outfit is mostly dark, loose fabrics stretched over his lithe frame with a scarf, a cloak, and a bit of unshaved stubble to give him a more scraggly look. Nancy's elf queen outfit is pretty much just a long, white dress with more opaque cloth beneath it to protect her dignity, along with a delicate tiara and some gold jewelry and makeup along with a pair of elf ears securely attached to her real ones, and covered partially with her hair. with all of them dressed up, you're hoping your costume will be just as cool--hell, maybe it'll be even cooler if Eddie's saving it for last!

with that expectation at the forefront of your mind, you're a little confused and a touch disappointed when Eddie hands you a plain-looking dress and apron (with a corset, at least) and tells you that your character is gonna be a barmaid. a wench. an NPC. trying to hide it just makes it more obvious that you feel left out, but Eddie reassures you that yours is the most important part! put it on so he can start the scene, and he'll show you--and put on a smile, too!

part of you wishes you hadn't joined if you're probably just gonna be watching anyways, but since you know Eddie and you know he's not one to disappoint, you go along with it and hike the dress up over your shoulders--noticing right away that the corset cinches by itself, which is handy, but also that it pushes up your boobs so they're pretty much all out in the open, you swear you can feel air gliding under them from how exposed they are. you listen closely to Eddie laying out the scene for you, describing the tavern you're in and explaining the four of their roles as adventurers and a little backstory, while offering few details about your character aside from the fact that you "always swoon over the sexy adventuring party that comes through town now and again" which you roll your eyes at as the others giggle.

but when Eddie finally sets you all up in your spots--you at the makeshift countertop of your bar, and the four of them in various spots around the "tavern" which is just the wide backroom of the Hideout with all the furniture rearranged--you finally seem to get the driving force behind this elaborate scene Eddie's concocted. the elf queen sat demurely with her tabaxi attendant obediently standing by, the barbaric half-orc prince musing on his recent kills, the reanimated ranger from unspoken lands pulling out a d4 to shake in his hand.....and when he's got everyone's attention, including yours, Eddie produces a potion from his cloak to set it on the table with a thunk. he numbers off the four of them, ensuring they know how to react depending on what he rolls, and looks across the table he's at to wink in your direction before he lets the die go.

"first one to land gets dibs on the wench."

[renegade-diamonds]

Would you please do number 2 for ronance for the pregnancy prompts

Of course, of course!

Nancy looked at her watch as she dashed to the car, trying to accurately plan out her best course of action so that she could be home within the hour.

She unlocked the driver-side door, tossing her purse and tote into the passenger seat and sliding into her usual spot. The Sinclair's were the closest, followed by the Byer's, and then Dustin's house. She could hit all three on the way home if she did a loop, and that shouldn't take her more than thirty minutes if the others were fast to the car. Steve was already over at her place, keeping Robin company along with Holly.

Robin hadn't been happy about the bedrest orders, but in the end it was impossible to go against both first-time sire Nancy Wheeler and soon-to-be grandmother Karen Wheeler. The doctor had been firm in her orders, and Nancy and her mother did not compromise at all.

In all, it wasn't a bad set up they had. Nancy's old room had been available while their place was getting built, and Robin found herself unexpectedly pregnant two months into their stay.

Turns out there was something oddly alluring about staying in Nancy Wheeler's high school bed. This was something that would never happen in old Robin's wildest dreams. It just always seemed like too much of a fantasy.

Until it wasn't. She couldn't believe she'd get to nest in Nancy Wheeler's bed, and her thoughts only seemed to delight her alpha when she noticed Robin's giddy behavior and asked about it.

That heat had been nice. Very, very, nice. A bit too nice in fact, if the generous swell of Robin's abdomen signified. Finding out they were expecting a baby so soon after their college graduation scared the shit out of Nancy, they'd barely closed on their house a few weeks ago!

But it was happening. Robin had no interest in terminating the pregnancy, and Nancy knew she would support her mate no matter what she chose.

This meant they were now expecting a baby girl, due in less than two months now.

Robin unfortunately developed some potentially severe complications early in the pregnancy, and their doctor pushed her onto bedrest as soon as things began to visibly stress her.

Needless to say, Robin was restless. She couldn't continue to gather supplies for their nest, and the scent of all her chosen family members was fading from the objects Robin collected from them.

That meant Nancy was relegated to collection duty, and tonight marked over ten days since Robin had been able to see any of their friends. Between school, college, and work- the group was pretty spread out now. Only Mike saw her daily, and that was because she lived with the Wheelers now.

As Nancy stopped by each stop, her car grew nosier. Lucas, Max, and Erica had climbed in at the Sinclair's house. Dustin was waiting on his patio and ran to the curb as soon as they appeared on his street. The Byer's house took the longest, if only due to the twisting road it took to get there. Will and El clamored into her car as she rolled to a stop, the kids growing loud and excited to see each other. El sunk in besides Lucas, smiling happily as she leaned against his shoulder and felt Max's hand gently reach over and comb through her medium-length locks. Will sat next to Dustin, and the two immediately started talking about some new D&D adventure that comes out next week.

Robin laughs with delight as the group come barging into Nancy's room, throwing themselves into the nest (careful to avoid jostling Robin), and disturbing the slumbering Steve who awakens to self-described gremlins hovering around him.

Later, when there's a small pile sleeping at the end of the bed, Nancy climbs into the blanket housing Robin, tucking herself up under her chin and inhaling the sweet scent against her neck.

Robin smells so much sweeter when she's pregnant- it constantly makes Nancy wonder where she is, if she's safe, if she's hungry or uncomfortable. Robin is the center of gravity in her universe, and there's something about watching her omega's stomach swell with child that awakens every maternal part of her she has. She wants to have a happy baby- she wants to be a sire worthy of this gift. She doesn't have the best example in her father, who allowed her mother to clean, feed, and raise the children. Nancy has to be better- she has to be perfect.

There's a possessive need in her gut- an urge to run away with Robin and hide her somewhere only Nancy knows. She's unbearably protective and suspicious. Everything could be a trap; she has to make sure it's safe- she has to make sure Robin's safe. It's the only thing that matters anymore.

Nancy will do anything to ensure Robin's happy- even if it means hosting bi-weekly sleepovers so her future wife's nest stays scented by their loved ones. Robin's protectiveness is over-stretched, she needs to see that the younger kids are ok at all times. She gets snarky when she loses track of any of their family members; Steve has the right idea- they have to be cared for and protected.

Nancy rests a hand over the curve of Robin's swollen belly, feeling the faintest sensations of kicks against her hand.

Robin grins sleepily, "Someone's happy you're here."

"Not as happy as me," Nancy whispered, flexing her fingers lovingly against the omega's stomach. "Get some sleep. I laid out extra blankets for them already."

"You're a life-saver, Nance," Robin replied, her voice quiet to avoid waking the others. "You're so amazing, I really don't know how I could have possibly got someone like you. You're so cool and self-assured, and I just got a G.E. degree because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to Major in, and-"

"It's fine, Robbie," Nancy said reverently. "You have no idea how happy I am to be doing this with you. You gave me balance- you are the best thing that ever happened to me." She grinned teasingly, rubbing her hand boldly over Robin's pregnancy bump. "I wonder how I got so lucky every day."

Robin smiled and leaned down to kiss her, before relaxing back on her side of the bed. Nancy followed adoringly, careful to avoid disturbing whatever calm her mate had gained.

With her mate in her arms, her child growing safely within her, and her loved ones around her, Robin pulled the blanket up over them and got comfortable.

Turns out, Robin was right- Nancy really was a blessing in disguise.

[mappingthemoon]

Books Read 2024

David Bowie (Little People, Big Dreams) / Ma Isabel Sánchez Vegara ; Ana Albero (ill.) (Francis Lincoln Children’s Books, 2019)

Angels and Insects / A. S. Byatt (Chatto & Windus, 1992)

How to Stay Alive in the Woods / Bradford Angier (Collier Books, 1962)

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes / Edith Hamilton (Grand Central Publishing, 2011)

True Stories / Sophie Calle (Actes Sud, 2018)

The Lottery and Other Stories / Shirley Jackson (The Modern Library, 2000)

The Healthy Deviant: A Rule Breaker’s Guide to Being Healthy in an Unhealthy World / Pilar Gerasimo (North Atlantic Books, 2020)

The Ascent of Man / J. Bronowski (Little, Brown and Company, 1973)*

David Bowie: His Life on Earth, 1947-2016 / Allison Adato (ed.) (Time Inc. Books, 2016)

“The Paranoid Style in American Politics” / Richard Hofstadter, in: Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, Uncollected Essays 1956-1965 (The Library of America, 2020)

Underworld / Don DeLillo (Scribner, 1998)

The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child / Nancy Newton Verrier (Gateway Press, Inc., 1993)

Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America’s Race to the Moon / Alan Shepard & Deke Slayton (Turner Publishing, Inc., 1994)

Nevada / Imogen Binnie (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2022)

Collected Short Stories and the novel The Ballad of the Sad Café / Carson McCullers (The Riverside Press ; Houghton Mifflin Company, 1955)

The Discovery of the Titanic / Robert D. Ballard w/Rick Archbold ; Ken Marschall (ill.) (Warner/Maidon Press, 1987)

The J. Paul Getty Museum Handbook of the Photographs Collection / Weston Naef (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 1995)

Changing the Earth: Aerial Photographs / Emmet Gowin ; Jock Reynolds (Yale University Art Gallery in association with the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Yale University Press, 2002)

“There’s an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighborhood” & Other Wickedly Funny Verse / Colin McNaughton (Simon & Schuster, 1987)*

The Anatomical Tattoo / Emily Evans (Anatomy Boutique Books, 2017)

Artists Books / Dianne Perry Vanderlip (cur.) (Moore College of Art ; University Art Museum, Berkeley, 1973)

Risomania: The New Spirit of Printing / John Z. Komurki (Niggli, imprint of Braun Publishing AG, 2017)

American Music / Annie Leibovitz (Random House, 2004)

Atonement: A Novel / Ian McEwan (Anchor Books, A Division of Random House, Inc., 2003)

The Land Where the Blues Began / Alan Lomax (Pantheon Books, 1993)

Snoopy to the Moon! (Peanuts Space Adventures) / Jason Cooper ; Tom Brannon (ill.) (Peanuts Worldwide LLC ; Happy Meal Readers ; Reading Is Fundamental, 2019)

Just for Fun / Patricia Scarry ; Richard Scarry (ill.) (A Golden Book; Western Publishing Company, Inc., 1960)

The Emotionally Absent Mother: How to Recognize and Heal the Invisible Effects of Childhood Emotional Neglect / Jasmin Lee Cori (The Experiment, 2017)

A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing / Eimear McBride (Coffee House Press, 2014)

Bluets / Maggie Nelson (Wave Books, 2014)

The Secret History / Donna Tartt (Ballantine Books, 2002)

Touch Me I’m Sick / Charles Peterson (powerHouse Books, 2003)

Rose-Petal’s Big Decision (Rose-Petal Place) / Nancy Buss ; Pat Paris & Sharon Ross-Moore (ill.) (Parker Brothers, 1984)*

9½ Weeks: A Memoir of a Love Affair / Elizabeth McNeill (Berkley Books, 1979)

Keep Coming Back / Julia Clinker (Nexus Press, 2001)

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1) / Octavia Butler (Seven Stories Press, 2016)

Parable of the Talents (Earthseed #2) / Octavia Butler (Seven Stories Press, 2016)

Great Expectations / Charles Dickens (Cherish, [1994])

I’ve Got a Time Bomb: A Novel / Sibyl Lamb (Topside Press, [2014])

My Brilliant Friend: Book One: Childhood, Adolescence (The Neapolitan Novels #1) / Elena Ferrante ; Ann Goldstein (tr.) (Europa Editions, 2012)

Artists’ Books: A Cataloguers’ Manual / Maria White, Patrick Perratt, Liz Lawes on behalf of ARLIS/UK & Ireland Cataloguing and Classification Committee (ARLIS/UK & Ireland ; Art Libraries Society, 2006)

The Book as Art: Artists’ Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts / Krystyna Wasserman (Princeton Architectural Press, 2007)

Alas, Babylon / Pat Frank (Perennial Classics, 1999)

To the Lighthouse / Virginia Woolf (The Hogarth Press, 1967)

The Photograph as Contemporary Art (World of Art), 3rd ed. / Charlotte Cotton (Thames & Hudson, 2014)

Swamp Water / Vereen Bell (Little, Brown and Company, 1941)

Ongoingness: The End of a Diary / Sarah Manguso (Graywolf Press, 2015)

Selected Poems / T. S. Eliot (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1964)

The New Way Things Work / David Macaulay ; Neil Ardley (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998)

The Little Friend / Donna Tartt (Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, Inc., 2003)

At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches / Susan Sontag ; Paolo Dilonardo, Anne Jump (eds.) (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007)

It’s All Absolutely Fine: Life Is Complicated So I’ve Drawn It Instead / Ruby Elliott (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2017)

Things Fall Apart / Chinua Achebe (Penguin Books, 2017)

Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast / Natasha Trethewey (University of Georgia Press, 2010)

A Humument: A Treated Victorian Novel (Final ed.) / Tom Phillips (Thames & Hudson, 2016)

Tree of Codes (2nd ed.) / Jonathan Safran Foer (Visual Editions, 2011)

Gutshot: Stories / Amelia Gray (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015)

Equus / Peter Shaffer (Scribner, 2005)

National Geographic, vol. 136, no. 6 (December 1969) “Space Record”

Sun Moon Earth: The History of Solar Eclipses from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets / Tyler Nordren (Basic Books, 2016)

Pittsburgh’s South Side (Images of America) / Stuart P. Boehmig (Arcadia Publishing, 2006)

Books read in 2024; asterisks * denote rereads. Favorites this year were Ian McEwan & Donna Tartt, LOVE a good coming-of-age story with a perceptive & melodramatic protagonist set in that liminal period between childhood and adulthood!! Pretty sure the main reason I grabbed the Donna Tartt books while thrifting was just from seeing the occasional tumblr user obsess about them, and oh man I was not disappointed! It is rare that I speed through a 600-page novel but, ugh, the way she puts words together is so riveting. Dickensian levels of detail! Speaking of which, I did actually read a Dickens book this year, Great Expectations, which ended up on my list a few years ago after a stranger on the bus tried to initiate conversation with me by asking what I was reading. He said that Great Expectations was his favorite book, and I was like, “oh cool, I read that in high school, I liked it,” and he was like, super excited that I had also read his fave classic. Well, later on after I got off the bus, I realized I had gotten that title confused with The Great Gatsby (which I did read in high school along with millions of other Americans probably) and I felt bad for accidentally deceiving Random Guy on the Bus, so the next time I saw a copy of Great Expectations at the thrift store, I picked it up. Not bad!!

What else? I’m very late to the Elena Ferrante party, but I enjoyed My Brilliant Friend in text form wayyy better than my attempt to listen to the audiobook five years ago (I just could not follow the audio version and couldn’t get into the story). Charles Peterson’s Touch Me I’m Sick was a fave photo book of the year; it had been on my list since 2015, whoops (I had to interlibrary loan it). This year I read a pretty even mix of books from my to-read list (earliest titles added 2015), books from my to-read pile (items I have thrifted within the past few years), and random interruptions to those lists. Oh, I also read a TON of essays and articles about artists’ books (not listed above) for the class I took at Rare Book School in the summer. I read a couple painfully healing books about motherhood and adoption (The Primal Wound / Nancy Newton Verrier & The Emotionally Absent Mother / Jasmin Lee Cori) that I wish I could’ve encountered earlier in my life but also who knows, maybe this year was cosmically the perfect time for my brain to be receptive. I picked up Alas, Babylon because it was a title I remembered seeing my dad reading at the kitchen table one time when I was a kid. (It’s a 1959 novel about surviving in post-nuclear apocalypse small-town Florida; there is some light misogyny and racism of its era, but also the librarian plays an important role, which I thought was sweet. A couple paragraphs are devoted to the librarian’s perennial struggles [pre-apocalypse] to secure funding, to keep the populace’s attention in spite of modern distractions like tv and air conditioning!) Finally, I also really enjoyed Moon Shot (which I took with me to the eclipse on April 8); here's what I wrote about it in my reading spreadsheet: “The writing style wasn’t particularly phenomenal, yet I was still moved to tears several times while reading … about witnessing the beauty of space, the thrill of exploration, the astronauts’ successes and tragedies, and at the end, the simplicity and sentimentality and symbolism of the Apollo-Soyuz friendships. I can’t help but wonder what the fuck it is about billionaires … that they seemingly don’t become overwhelmed with the desire to save and protect our fragile planet after seeing it from space, a feeling many astronauts seem to have experienced.”

In general, I do most of my reading on the bus during my commutes to and from work, so I get in about 30-60 minutes per day of reading. But also this year I had several incidents of extensive sustained silent reading due to long waiting periods during travel – I read at least the first 100 pages of The Secret History while I was stuck overnight at Newark Airport in July; in August, I read almost all of Parable of the Talents on an Amtrak from Atlanta to Greensboro, then a chunk of Great Expectations on the way back. It was so nice to have that kind of IMMERSIVE, hours-long reading experience again! And especially with such richly detailed & descriptive stories! In 2025 I hope to be able to devote more time to slow, analog reading.

[steviewashere]

I think...in a D&D world, Steve Harrington would be a half-orc. And I'm gonna go off of my copy of the 5e Player's Handbook for this. Also, I give my own little D&D headcanons on Eddie, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle, too. <3

So half-orcs are born from a marriage (which are born from an alliance) between a human and an orc. They tend to have a mix of human and orc traits; they're strong, bulky, between 5 and 6 feet, can see in the dark, and are rather emotional beings. They get angrier quicker, "an insult stings like acid" (5e Player's Handbook, Chapter 2: Races, pg. 41). On this same page, in the same paragraph in fact, "They tend to be short-tempered and sometimes sullen, more inclined to action that contemplation and fighting than arguing. And when their hearts swell with love, they leap to perform acts of great kindness and compassion." Which sounds like Steve Harrington to me.

Half-orcs are typically adorned in scars. Some carry pride for these blemishes, as they were earned through battle. Other scars are from imprisonment or from a disgraced exile. And like...the whump that's there within the exile; Steve Harrington who doesn't get into college, forced to work minimum wage as a "lesson" by his parents, thinks his dad is an asshole, knows himself to not be a great boyfriend but a great babysitter. Him being exiled is the perfect half-orc backstory for him. Also, Steve would have SO many scars from fighting, even if some of these fights weren't won, he'd be so incredibly proud of himself for at least distracting the bad away from the pact of people he cares about.

And the other thing for me is that half-orcs and tieflings work so well together in my brain. Half-orcs being this machines of rage as guided by their god; tieflings being generally mistrusted and frowned upon, often falling into careers that are also generally mistrusted (thieves, crime lords, swindlers). Eddie would be a tiefling, and you know me: Major Steddie Shipper.

Steve being this guy who doesn't believe himself to be good by the very nature of who he is due to his race, for the fact that he's been exiled by the ones that he thought cared about him, and for being a fighter, generally. Eddie who tells him that he's a good guy, that he's got a big and beautiful heart, even if he doesn't realize it yet.

Eddie believing that he'll never be somebody that any single person could come to love or trust. Him being a runner rather than a fighter, always muddling himself with crime and harm. Being snippy and quick, yet constantly frightened. Steve telling him that he needs to cut himself some slack. Steve believing Eddie about Nancy (initially, before Eddie and Steve get together). Trusting Eddie's opinion?

I mean, c'mon. That's just too perfect.

But like...I love the idea of human Steve a lot in a D&D world, but what about half-orc fighter Steve? And the companion in his party, Eddie the Tiefling Thief who he begrudges first, but then comes to trust and love fully with no way of controlling his real emotions for Eddie? IT'S PERFECT!

Thinking more on the older teens, I believe Robin would be a half-elf. She lives a lonesome adventuring life before coming across Steve and Eddie, a band of misfit outcasts. Which, according to my handbook, half-elves often migrate to groups containing outcasts because they neither fit in human or elf communities. Half-elves have a love for the arts and nature, but also rely heavily on human intelligence, to which they hold.

Nancy, I think, would be a human. A Tethyrian human. She relies heavily on human culture, her human intelligence, and whatnot. But she accepts outcasts and other races pretty openly, as humans do in the D&D world (y'know, considering there are such races as half-orcs and half-elves). She's always striving to do the best in her life, to really maximize her existence because humans are not mortal creatures.

I think Jonathan would be a full on elf. I don't have much to say on why I think this. Outside of the fact that elves love art and nature. I can also see him as a Drow, specifically. Again, I'm not sure why. But that's just how I feel. And with Argyle, I haven't thought of anything yet; maybe a dwarf? He's not short by any means, but dwarves love their livelihood and Argyle definitely enjoys himself 90% of when we see him.

[memaidraws]

On Repeat Playlist Tag Game

Rules: Shuffle your repeat playlist 10 times and tag 10 people. Tagged by @flymmsy 😘

If you've ever wanted to laugh at my musical tastes, no better opportunity now, folks!

I know a lot of you guys are within the venn diagram of shared/mutual fandoms, so what I'll do for this (to make things interesting) is assign a pairing for each song and a wee rationale as to why ;)

Tagging: @defira85 @atypicalacademic @dirty-bosmer @henbased @braindancer @feykiller @vasiktomis @circlejourney @chickenparm @sweatandwoe (sorry if you've been tagged before!)

SHEPARD / GARRUS (Mass Effect) Okay, Reina's technically not 'Shepard', and this is a big cheat because Jeon Somi is her voice claim haha. Definitely a song she's released out of spite when Garrus all but disappeared to play vigilante on Omega ;)

MARTIN SEPTIM / MARINA CORVUS (TES IV: Oblivion) Listen, listen, this song is so perfectly them it actually kind of hurts a lot. To people that surrounded Martin, Emperor-to-be, Marina was exactly the kind of troublemaker they needed him to stay away from. But to Brother Martin the man made of flesh? She was everything to him uwu

GORTASH / DURGE (Baldur's Gate III) Come on now, the lyrics are PERFECT for a Durge lamenting about the big dumb crush she's got on Enver and oh my god? He likes her back? (She says, kicking her feet in the air, after a bloody massacre, much to Sceleritas Fel's dismay)

MAYOR HANCOCK / LEE (Fallout 4) UGH oh my god so I know Lee Know from Stray Kids is his faceclaim but this song is very much them. Wanting to run away, seeking freedom where they can take it? Not wanting to take shit for all the crap that's been thrown their way? Yeah <3 Maybe for a modern AU <3

GORTASH / DARK URGE (Baldur's Gate III) It's not cheating! If Kill! Kill! Kill! was from Durge's perspective, I can see this being from Gortash's perspective (the fact this is one genuine emo/alt??? perfect for Gorty's aging rockstar look). Like come on, it's in the name, the lyrics, the screamo bridge? Davey Havok knows what's up.

ONMUND / ALREK (TES V: Skyrim) Oh man. Oh man so this particular album from Bastille has been very Onmund/Alrek coded to me (for reasons I won't get into yet ;D) But this is very much like Alrek watching the world quite literally burn and the only thing he can think of is courting the cute mage and throwing all his cares into the wind. After all, when the world's ending, why does any of it matter?

CAPT DELACOURT / MC (Heart of a Sky Pirate) Hey, my otome game officially lives on an app, so this counts ;D But these more upset, shanty-esque songs definitely reminds me of Delacourt and his romance route. Throwing your cares to the wind (literally) and having a grand ol' time no matter where the adventure takes you.

F!SOLE SURVIVOR / CURIE (Fallout 4) Hear me out: I think Parker's (my sole) romance with Curie is almost highschool puppy love. And it doesn't help that they both have some pretty huge baggage that they need to work through-- so having someone to lean on and love in a way that's easy, carefree and happy? Yeah they're gonna hold onto that <3

STELLE / MARCH 7TH (Honkai: Star Rail) Forever crying that my Caelus is getting so many better pulls than my Stelle, but fwiw, I definitely think Stelle and March have a very fun, easy-going relationship. Kinda need to when you're Trailblazing across the galaxy in a giant space train (and angering gods along the way, oops!)

GALE DEKARIOS / TAV (Baldur's Gate III) Hear me out: I think these two would be so into each other in the way that they absolutely would not leave each other alone. You think Astarion/Tav is bad? These two have it worse. To be more precise, my Tav for this romance, Rae, is very much into exploring his romantic curiosities with Gale. No one else makes him feel as safe and wanted uwu