#seven plus one

[strangersteddierthings]

What's Eight Plus Seven?

Part One🦇Part Two🦇Part Three🦇Part Four🦇Part Five

Alright y'all. We had the hurt, let's get some comfort started.

-

Steve leans against his door, expecting Eddie to follow him upstairs to continue their argument because Eddie's never been one to back down from an argument as far as Steve can tell, so he's using his weight to keep the door shut. It takes about five minutes of just leaning against the door before he hears a few light knocks on the door. He pretends he didn't hear them and soon starts to hear Eddie monologue-ing on the other side. He thinks he hears a 'sorry' and an 'I fucked up' but he doesn't really tune in until Eddie says something about cancelling Hellfire.

Spinning quickly, he yanks the door open and says, "You better not fucking cancel!"

"What? Don't you, like, want me out of your house?" Eddie looks startled and sounds confused.

"What I want is for the kids to get to play Dungeons and Dorks for an afternoon, just getting to be kids and fight against monsters that can't actually kill them," Steve says as he goes to put his hands on his hips (a move that Robin calls his Bitch Stance) but realizes he can't while still holding a book, so instead he folds his arms across his chest, cradling the book to his body.

He waits for Eddie to call him out for saying dorks instead of dragons, but Eddie just blinks at him, quiet for a moment before he says, "Oh. Uh, okay then. I'll just, uhh, I'll be back closer to noon, then. For the game."

"Don't you have prep to do?" Steve knows he's trying to pick a fight now but he's angry, and sad, and hurt underneath it all. Also, he doesn't understand the change in Eddie suddenly. Ten-ish minutes ago Eddie had shouted back I wasn’t exactly wrong, was I? You were a jock, a bully even! Where is that anger now?

"No. Not, uh, not really," Eddie says, avoiding meeting Steve's gaze, face turning a very light pink. "I was- I mean, yes, there was prep, but I did a majority of that already and what's left will take maybe three minutes so..."

Steve's confused now, still trying to cling to his anger. "But you called and asked if it was okay to come early specifically for that reason."

Eddie doesn't respond right away. He turns around to walk to the wall opposite Steve's door and thump his forehead against it. Steve is perplexed by the behavior (but he's been perplexed by Eddie since finding him at Reefer Rick's) so he just watches in silence as Eddie heaves a sigh and turns around to slump against the wall, facing Steve once again. He runs a hand through his hair, then drags that hand back forward and down his face. "Yeah. I did do that."

"So, what, you lied? Why?"

"I just wanted to hang out," Eddie whispers, like it almost hurts him to say out loud, which is such a weird thing to hear because it makes Eddie seem small in a way Steve's never seen him. Even during spring break Eddie was never small or quiet; his fear manifested as shouting, for fuck's sake. It chips away at the last of Steve's anger. He's long past the days of kicking someone when they're down.

"You... wanted to hang out," Steve repeats before heaving a sigh of his own, long-suffering man that he is. Maybe it is time to bury the hatchet and actual deal with this. If nothing else, it'll result in Steve being less defensive around Eddie when everyone hangs out, like for movie night or BBQs. Also, he knows that Dustin will never let him know another day of peace once he learns that Eddie and Steve don't get along as well as he wants them to so he says, "Listen, I think we've got some shit to hash out, or whatever, so that should probably be done or, like, things are going to be weird when we all hang out, but I can't do that right now, man. So, stay or go, just make that game happen at noon. I'm going to stay up here."

Eddie nods, weirdly sullen and quiet again, as he says, "Yeah. Umm, maybe after the game? If you're feeling up to it."

"Sure. After."

Eddie raps his knuckles against the wall behind him twice before pushing off and heading back towards the stairs. He pauses to look over his shoulder and say, "If you wanna watch, or listen in, or something, I don't think anyone will mind." And then he's heading down the stairs.

Retreating back to his room, Steve tosses the book onto his bed before flopping face first next to it. He groans into his comforter before reaching for the book. He props himself up on his elbows and stares down at the cover before opening it to see Christopher's handwriting on the inside cover.

It's been years since he thought about Christopher and even longer since he's laid eyes on the books. He was so sure his mom had just gotten rid of them. All this time, they'd been right where he left them, shoved just far enough back to be out of sight on the shelf. His last link to Christopher.

That's not true, Steve scolds himself. His cousins, Amber and Robert, are still alive and in Washington. His grandparents still live on that farm in Michigan. Steve just hasn't seen them since the funeral.

He hadn't gone back to the farm the summer after freshman year, or any year since. His parents thought he was old enough to stay home for a whole month in the summer alone now, instead of paying to ship him off to his grandparents. Steve's old enough now to know that was why he'd spent a month every year out on the farm; so his parents could go off on longer work trips. Once they'd decided Steve was old enough to stay alone for the summer, that quickly reached other seasons and by the time Steve was a junior, the were gone more than they were home.

He doesn't even remember when he last spoke to them in person. He thinks the last phone call was right after Starcourt. It was just to make sure Steve got to job hunting, since his place of employment had burned down and the bills wouldn't pay themselves. Which is true. He doesn't have to pay rent, but all the utilities are in his name now.

Jesus, he doesn't want to be thinking about them.

He goes back to the book, flipping through the pages absently. Halfway through the book he finds a couple folded pieces of paper tucked close to the spine. He doesn't have to open them to know exactly what they are.

It's the character sheets he'd made.

He closes the book back atop them and rolls over to face his ceiling. He wants to call Robin, but the phones are downstairs and he doesn't want to go down there just yet. He also kinda wants to cry. To get rid of all these emotions about Christopher, and Freshman First Day, and Eddie.

Fucking Eddie. Who haunts Steve's thoughts more than he'd like because despite the grudge Steve has been holding, Eddie has been fun to be around and so good with the kids, especially Dustin. Fuck, after having watched Dustin break down when they thought he was dead- but he'd had a pulse. It was weak but it was there.

After Eddie'd been cleared of the charges and the months rolled on into summer, they'd spent lots of time together as a group. Steve will admit he tried to avoid Eddie as best he could (he knows he's petty, okay) but could still see how he blended smoothly into their group.

If this Eddie had been the one he met on Freshman First Day, instead of the dick that mocked him, they might very well be friends now.

That's the crux of it all, Steve thinks. That he wouldn't mind being friends with Eddie if not for that bottled up grudge he'd been holding onto. He can't bring himself to let it go and Steve's not even sure why. Thoughts and feelings aren't something Steve processes quickly, and it usually helps to talk it out with Robin. She lets him stumble through his thoughts, and doesn't mock him for messing up, or mixing up, words.

Goddammit, if he's really going to try talking this out with Eddie, he's going to have be open and honest and maybe a little vulnerable and he doesn't know if he can do that.

But he'll have to. For better or worse, he can't just keep Eddie at arms length. They need to either come to the conclusion that they can be friends, or not, and then go from there. (Also, he knows that Dustin will never let him know another day of peace once he learns that Eddie and Steve don't get along as well as he wants them to.)

In the end, Steve's not sure how long he just stares up at the ceiling but a sudden shout breaks him from his trance. It sounded like Dustin. Hellfire must have started.

Steve leaves his room to go lean against the half wall of the hallway, so he could look down to the dining table where everyone has gathered to play. No one notices him, so Steve sinks to the floor and turns, so he can lean against the wall, closes his eyes, and listens in.

The room below is filled with noise. Shouts of excitement, and groans of pain, and sighs of relief. Dustin yells at his dice when it rolls a Nat 1. Mike curses up a storm over a barely missed perception check that makes the party fall into a surprise round. He hears Lucas whoop happily and then what sounds like him taking several victory laps around the table.

He used to be an imaginative kid, able to easily conjure castle, and knights, and dragons in his mind's eye. Listening to Eddie describe a new location, or NPC, or monster makes it easy to bring that part of himself back. Eddie is descriptive and uses so many voices that Steve would be embarrassed to even attempt. But because Eddie is being descriptive, so is everyone else at the table. Erica has adopted an accent of some sort for her character. Dustin and Will go into great detail describing what they want their character to do. The older members of Hellfire do the same, and one of them is using an Irish accent that if he used while talking to Steve, he'd would think it was his first language.

Steve's not sure how long he sat there, long enough that they've taken a snack break and are back at it again, before he decides he might as well watch, too. He gets up and goes downstairs. There's a pause at the table when he wonders in and plops down on the couch. He makes eye contact with Eddie and offers a small half smile. Eddie grins back, and starts back into the game, pulling everyone's focus.

Watching is interesting. He gets to see the Party jab at each other, or lean over and whisper about something. It's nice, to see them being kids. Having fun.

They end around five and Steve is surprised at how quickly five hours had passed.

"So, Steve, how was watching your first DnD game?" Dustin asks, pausing on his way to the door to do so.

Steve considers teasing him, but he goes for honesty instead. "Pretty interesting. It might not be my last time observing. I gotta see you get killed sometime, right?"

"Rude, Steve. Rude," Dustin is grinning though.

"Tell your mom hi for me, and let me know when she's making pork chops again. I'd like to crash that dinner."

Dustin rolls his eyes and shakes his head but he hugs Steve before leaving. Between all the older Hellfire members, they all have rides home that aren't Steve or Eddie.

Speaking of the latter, he's slowly packing things away at the table. Clearly killing time so it won't look like he's intentionally staying after everyone's gone.

Soon, the house is empty again.

"So, I'm not sure... how to start this conversation," Eddie admits to the silence. He's still at the table, standing behind where he was previously sitting, fiddling with a die. "But, I'm sorry. For that day. You were right, you know? When you said I was lashing out at you first."

"Thanks. For the apology," Steve stands from the couch and moves to the table, toying with the tablecloth instead of looking at Eddie. "I, uhh, I'm not sure where to go from here, either? I spent such a long time angry at you. For pointing out all the things I'm bad at in front of everyone there. For making me feel like an idiot."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Now Steve looks up at Eddie. "You say that, but like, why? Are you sorry because what you did was shitty, or because you want to be my friend now?"

Eddie blinks, apparently thrown by Steve's question.

"Because, like, you were pretty dismissive of Lucas before Spring Break and he helped save your life. So, it's like, are you okay with being shitty if the people you hurt aren't people you like? 'Cause I used to be that way, and I'm not going to be friends with someone who is."

"Yeah, no, you're right," Eddie nods. "For all that I scream about conformity, and how stupid it is, I've been rather quick to dismiss everyone outside my own... group. I held rather close to that nerds verses jocks crap for too long. Lucas is a jock, but he's also a nerd, and so very loyal to his friends. And you- you're really fucking awesome."

"I am," Steve interrupts with a cheeky grin.

"Ass. But yeah, you're pretty awesome, and I've been feeling all fucked up today because, we could have been friends, couldn't we? In high school. If I'd just let you take the damn flier and kept my mouth shut."

"Hey, that's not all on you," Steve says. "I would have still joined the basketball team, and the swim team. And, like, I was so desperate for any shred of attention from my parents that I would never have picked Hellfire over sports meetups. I could have joined and still ended up a bully by sophomore year."

"Well, I didn't help-"

"I made those choices, Eddie. And it doesn't matter because it's in the past. So, like, we can just move forward. Start over, or whatever."

Eddie looks him up and down before giving one sharp nod, then breaking out into a wide grin, sticking his hand out for a handshake. "Hi. Name's Eddie Munson."

Steve laughs, reaching out to shake Eddie's hand. "Steve Harrington."

"Great, pleasure to meet you. Do you wanna hang out? We can play 20 questions. Get to know each other."

"Sure," Steve chuckles, extracting his hand from Eddie's. "Let me order some pizza first."

First time hanging out with Eddie alone. Guess they'll find out if they can be friends after all.

[skyward-floored]

[st4rshiptr00per]

VNA doodle art dump time lol

[Image description: several drawings in ink and pencil. image 1 - a single comic panel of a man in a military uniform being violently bear-hugged by a statue with a loud crunch. the man is throwing his head back in shock and pain. the statue looks like Ace Mcshane, and its eyes, mouth, and joints are cracking apart, spilling mud. image 2- a simpler drawing of ace and the seventh doctor sitting in chairs facing each other. ace is putting her feet up on the arm of the chair and holding tea in her lap, while the doctor leans forward in their seat and holds ace's hand. image 3 - the seventh doctor in their outfit from the VNAs, winking at the viewer. image 4 - Ace in a tank top, carrying a massive sci-fi gun on her shoulder. she's covered in little scratches and scars. image 5 - an image study of the seventh doctor sitting and pointing at the camera with an alarmed expression, while ace leans over his shoulder looking surprised. image 6 - Ace in her outfit from the Left-Handed Hummingbird, wearing a crop top, the doctor's jacket, and looking at the viewer over her sunglasses. image 7 - the seventh doctor hunched over on the ground, grinning uneasily. their eyes are watering and colored in blue and there are tiny blue feathers in their hair. behind them Huitzilin is partially visible completely colored in blue, with bird-like headgear and a big grin. end ID. ]

[ash-and-starlight]

thank you @mafaldinablabla for the tag!! the game is to share 9 of my favourite books from the last 12 months, or 9 books on my tbr list for this year.

Here is what i’m looking forward to read this year! (my hunt for beautiful covers never ends. in this house books Shall be judged by their cover)

tagging uhh @erisenyo, @chitsangenthusiast, @ranilla-bean, @poikilotherm, @kyoshialone and whoever else wants to do it u.u

[sinestrosmind]

Revenge for @5ilent5cience feat. Flame, along with the followup attack

[very-feral-lesbian]

looks like tommy is coming back for season 8

[yunmeng-jiang]

that man does NOT think of wei wuxian as his gege

[lesbianlotties]

lottienatlee real confirmed ✨

[xcziel]

for the US danmei fans

BUY 1, GET 1 50% OFF MANGA/LIGHT NOVELS at Barnes & Noble

MARCH 12th - 26th (NOW!)

YES this includes the Seven Seas english versions of MDZS, TGCF, SVSS, as well as 2HA and THOUSAND AUTUMNS

Now is the time if you have been waiting to fill in your collection until there's a good sale!

YES this also means ALL MANGA (plus Anime DVDs and Blurays), both in-store and at BN.com

[kanerallels]

I know if no one else got me, the Sabezra fandom got me

[nepttunnee]

when you’re at a being absolutely abnormal about your hyper fixation competition and your opponent is me…anyways.

[s-citrus]

For a guy called No Significant Harassment. He sure does Harasss a Significant amount

[eggobuggo]

Cats that certainly don’t share similarities to certain robots.

[thelien-art]

Just a small Maedhros sketch

[alitgblog]

so i came up with a rough idea for a scott pilgrim inspired litg au where you have an evil ex from each season (minus season 8 since it's coming out now)

Bobby would be the main character, which I didn't want at first because he's the most popular LI but I think his personality seems the most likely to get into this situation (minus the Scott Pilgrim being an incel but that's why it's inspired and not a one to one). Also works since he's in a band.

Obviously MC is his dream girl (Ramona in the movie). Could probably have Noah be his roommate, who is bookish and also a little sick of his problems. Then you have the other band members: Lottie is the drummer (who is also Bobby's ex who's still a little mad at him), idrc who the guitarist is lol, and then I think it'd be funny to have a character who wants to be in the band but they don't let him until the end and that should be Felix.

The stuff about Knives I understand is important to the Scott Pilgrim story but I'm not a huge fan of the "dating a high schooler" part lol. Still, we can have a character that he's dating who's all in and he is not but he doesn't have the heart to break up with her and ends up breaking her heart anyway, and that's probably Hannah.

MC shows up to his concert and then you meet the first evil ex, Dylan. And MC is like oh they dated for a week in middle school and after she broke his heart, he kind of became the asshole we know him as now. (the only reason I'm picking Dylan first is because I think Matthew Patel is one of the more cringe exes and I just simply couldn't do that to anyone else in s4, plus after the exposition he just gets thrown away anyway).

Next, Bobby, Noah, and MC all go visit a local movie set and they see her next ex, Rafi. I don't know why I always picture Rafi with his like weird smouldering face, but that honestly works well with this character, if you've ever seen pictures of Chris Evans in this movie. Because there's a skateboarding aspect in this, I did consider it should be Jamal, but for the bit I already picked a s6 character so it had to be someone else lol.

Anyway, Rafi gets defeated by his arrogance and then Bobby's band is playing in a contest, where he sees his ex and her new band mate/boyfriend, Mason, who is also MC's ex. As for Bobby's ex, it doesn't matter too much but I could see it being Yasmin since she's also a singer, Priya because she canonically is a fan of Mason's band (i think?) and there are routes where she's initially coupled up with Bobby, or Elisa because I think on some s2 routes she goes for Bobby but also I just like her aesthetic compared to this character in the movie. Also I just think either of them look good next to Mason (maybe they don't fit personality wise but they'd look good)

So Mason gets defeated, probably not with the vegan thing (but if we switch Mason for Levi, I could believe that), but something silly other than physically beating him. Next ex is Bonnie, who is clingy as hell. I don't think we should keep the part where Ramona calls it her like college experimentation stuff because that's not a great stereotype, but I kinda like the idea that Bonnie thinks they were in a relationship and had something but MC is like, no, clearly not.

The next exes are the twins, and so I had no other choice than to make this Ozzy and Marshall. I also think MC probably drove them apart and then when they finally compared stories they finally became friends again and are out for vengeance. Anyway, they get defeated.

Last but not least, the ex to rival all exes, the titular character of s5, we have Suresh running this shit. He is so hung up over MC that he set up this whole league. Literally nothing about his character would make me think he'd do this (because this character in Scott Pilgrim is so malicious actually), but he is the "ex in the villa" so he's gotta be the final boss.

[inkbagel]

This collab I joined like eight months ago that I didn’t really enjoy being in finally got posted today but for some reason only on twitter and I don’t go there so I can’t even see the whole thing :/