#show some respect to the ''the old guard'' because it's literally ''the old guard'' even keeping y'all in play

[somedaytakethetime]

In true Nagelsmann fashion allow me to present to you: Denmark vs Germany (29.06.2024, Euros 2024) - The Lowlights Reel

*lines up to be sexy på dansk one last match*

*trips on children*

*talks but no one listens*

*legit gets called to chat about the weather*

*is given bad news, checks fit, braces*

*does the most, is rewarded the least*

*reflects the same emotions girlblogger had while watching this match*

*serves looks and chest*

*runs sexily and applauds fans that want him out of the club*

*considers pursuing German ancestry. or playing for England....*

[lindalofbroome]

original sketches

DELTORA FASHION CONCEPT ART V2

hello i have finally coloured some rough sketches of some deltoran fashions, a redraw of some really old sketches from ages ago.

im a pretty amateur concept artists and i hate designing clothes so truly was a challenge for me hahah BUT it has given me plenty of time to think of headcanons. im not sure what i've already posted about or not so im just gonna go ahead and rant

these characters were originally just models for me to draw the clothes on, so i didn't need to draw a new person every time; although in some of my earliest sketches of different people groups i did a bunch of people. but naturally these characters have developed a little and some of them are my beloved adin-era OCs <3

[about 4,500 words]

⬜ JALIS

since the jalis are reknowned for their warrior prowess and their signature gold armour, i thought it'd be neat that even if when they're not wearing the full set, they are always wearing their arm guards. it's a sense of pride and identity, they probably receive them as a rite of passage into adulthood. not every jalis is a knight, but they value a heart of courage and great feats and they all have them, and would wear them always (or at least special occasions if one prefers not).

i headcanon that jasmine was gifted her own set of arm guards as an expression of their respect and admiration of her. her relationship with glock grew so much and was cut off, but she earned her "heart of a jalis" and we didnt get to see much of jasmine and gers together, but theres plenty of time post-DQ3. i think my jasmine and the jalis thoughts should be a separate post though, otherwise this post will never end 😂

i dont imagine that the jalis had special party clothes, i think they just turn up in their usual clothes and get drunk and dance their hearts out maybe start a brawl thats none of my business

i cant remember why i've been giving them this geometric sort of pattern tbh. i think i drew someone at some point and wanted it to look different to mcbride's design but im not sure if i like it or not. the plus is that i can make diamond motifs though!!

i also cant really remember how my brown skin gold hair came to be 🤔🤔 wait backtracking i think what happened is that i decided to draw del people as black latinx inspired, so it wasn't that big a step to make jalis also dark skinned since they're both in the south (deltora geography is weird tho so like it's not that deep) and then i think i made them blonde as i "why not??" situation but tHEN i thought maybe it's connected to their jalis gold?

my headcanon is that their armour is made of a unique metal that can only be found in diamond territory, it's super hard, tough, and light etc. so maybe whatever is In The Ground is also in them and their blood and shows in their hair????

🥳 fun fact 🥳 wasn't until i had to draw steven and glock side by side that i had realised what i'd done?? i.e. steven canonically has brown skin gold hair too¹. which now forces me to think about whether it should be a coincidence (like it is) or shall i headcanon that steven and nevets' father was jalis² 🤔 ¹ pretty sure it's about the dichotomy, to show contrast but connection between the brothers. i have many steven and nevets thoughts but that should also be another post ² i am.

🟩 DREAD GNOMES

these characters are adin-era, so unfortunately this would be when the gnomes still hunt the kin. whats weird is that i realised that i was picturing the caramelly brown fabric that this gnome is wearing was the kin pelt and not the big furry parts?? i usually picture the kin as more like velvetty. idk what the thicker fur parts would be though?? literally any other animal i guess 😅 i dont know it doesn't make sense and it's only occurring to me right now i shall have to think about it lmao

anyway made them green because why not. maybe they come in different colours idk. this gnome is pre-gellick so does go out in the sun, gellick-era gnomes would be waaaaay more paler they probably looked white. this could be similar to the jalis and like theres something in the grounddd

gla-thon claims that the dread gnomes knew that lesser gems had weaker but the same powers of the great talisman gems (sots), but im not sure if they knew it before adin. would be interesting if they did 🤔 and how they figured it out?? (side note but now im wondering about how withick knew what to write about the gems??) would imply that if they got the great emerald than they could deduce there are others surely. unless they thought it was a freak accident/miracle. anyway we know they love gems and gold etc etc so they obviously decorate themselves with heaps of jewellery

triangle motifs in homage to their mountain 💚

i gave them a sort of war paint ritual. i'm not sure if they all do the same markings, but this one was specifically to symbolise a bow and arrow (arrow going up the nose). you can see it a bit better here lol. i also decided that sometimes they wear it for purely cosmetic purposes. im not sure what the substance is exactly though. i think in my head i was imagining something similar to kohl, but maybe not.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 bre-tak and az-zure are lesbians (i make the rules)

🟦 MERE

oooooh baby this is my guy my babygirl my everything

okay so i think this headcanon developed recently when i last drew sky of rithmere and i thought that mere superstition encouraged them to wear their charms in random spots to avoid them cancelling each other out. it could be construed to be they were inspired by the night sky and the pattern of the stars perhaps. this led them to prefer asymmetrical fashions, mostly prominent in the armour i put badr in

🥳 fun fact 🥳 badr means "full moon" 👀

i think i originally decided the mere had leather armour just to give them something different iirc but the mere characters we see are usually the lithe, speedy, crafty type, so maybe light, mobile armour does work for them lol. anyway the main reason is that i had the image of studded leather, and i was like ohohoho STARS

i generally think of them with muted colours but sometimes they have a bold blue for their prized garmants. like zillah and co, the leaders of rithmere in adin's time were described with bright blue and starry cloaks. (i checked the wiki just to check zillah's name lol and apparently it's actually canon they have leather armour?? so not sure why i thought otherwise) anyway i do currently have minecraft brain but i did vaguely remember that people made ultramarine pigment from grinding lapis lazuli into a powder and im not sure if thats something the mere would do or if there's some strong blue dyes they can get from plants or something native to their territory 🤔

actually im liking that idea now? it would be incredibly time-consuming and labour-intensive but that would add to its value?? real world lapis lazuli has a horrible yield rate of 1kg lapis to 30g of pigment apparently, but it's a strong pigment (unless i misunderstand). alternative name for ultramarine is "permanent blue" apparently so. anyway ultramarine irl is more of a paint pigment, but in roddaverse maybe the mere make a lucky blue dye to use on cloaks and scarfs and shawls etc for good fortune?? me frantically checking that i put badr and luisa's wedding garb in bold blue lmAO oh i did but it's a little muted. they mix in oils and stuff to make the paint, so it doesnt seem like a stretch that they can mix different ingredients or ratio to make a cloth dye (to my very amateur understanding).

so im imagining now that they have a special (probably secret within the mere) process to create bright blue thread speckled with white (also gold to me. im pro deltora lapis with gold) and weave it into their beautiful starry night fabric. the amount of labour and the use of their prized lapis lazuli makes it very special, and maybe some people think it's the lapis that makes the fabric lucky or maybe some people think it's the work of love and time that makes it lucky, maybe both.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 i forgot that "bless your lucky stars" is like a real saying until recently lol

a starry cloak is probably something only the really rich could afford, but i think that they are more like heirlooms and states of office? im not sure if these pieces are things that one would purchase or something they would receive. bit hard to imagine people doing it for free but maybe it's one of those staple things that they revere and everyone else works to support them as well etc like the cooks in noradz are prized. idk. but yeah like a poorer family couldn't get a new one, but they would have one that has been in their family for generations you know? and i think that there would be something about like. idk youre meeting up with your doctor or something and youre nervous and you put on your family's best clothes (the most lucky ones) and maybe youre cynical about the whole good fortune stuff but there's something comforting about wearing the cloak your mother wore and your grandmother and your great grandmother wore, who also had to do such things. something something gives you the confidence to make your own luck because youre no longer pessimistic and allowing avoidable mistakes to happen

this means that the mere giving adin a cloak was a REALLY big deal because they definitely dont just go throwing those around and they would probably only give it to an outsider in trade for a steeeeeeeeeeeep price. which of course means that there would be knock offs with bad quality dye. lmao thats perfect actually. like 10000% there would be merchants in rithmere trying to sell cheaper versions to people that are expensive but still affordable to the average person. some would be different shades of blue, but the more crafty might have dyes that are strong but not lasting.

oh also i headcanon that palace fashion was a conglomerate of aspects from all the tribes but this should be it's own post i think. but i just remembered that i put gold thread in badr's braids in the formal wear sketch. i did that to tie in with the veins/flecks of gold (technically pyrite) in irl lapis lazuli. as such, people at del palace were inspired to weave gold into their hair too.

also gives me another thing to ship badr and luisa lmao. badr can wear some gold and luisa can wear some blue as a treat for me <3 moon and stars ocs beloved

🟨 DEL

alright. okay so del is definitely very white western patriarchal coded (most just a bias of living in that type of society i reckon) but it sucks and i'm passionate about making del NOT that. i think i've said this a million times now but this should be it's own post too, but most succinctly del is a very vibrant, curious, and daring sort of culture (e.g. their recklessness, exploration, trading). they were already marrying non-deltorans before adin (i imagine that some might have dared to marry outside of del, but it would have been way more politically complex so it was rarer and often kept quiet and rural). people of del were moving to other countries (like dorne) and people were probably moving to del, so del is definitely a big mix of different people and languages and superstitions and stuff.

but anyway i wanted to set a sort of base for before that. i've had art on the wip pile for YEARS about this and i'd flesh this out properly when it's done lol (hopefully we see that day) but since the topaz has the power to summon spirits, i really wanted to develop an aspect of del culture around that? i was inspired by Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and i still want to do some more in depth research and explore it more properly, but i like the idea that del will celebrate their lost loved ones life, coming together to remember, if they were lucky the got to see and even talk to their spirits. maybe pre-talisman they did know about topaz properties and they had a big deposit of gems that they would wheel out for the festival and the huge pile under the full moon would be enough to allow the spirits and people to interact? anyway this is a longwinded explanation of why my sketches of del fashion could be latinx inspired.

circle motifs in homage to the moon. the trim decoration on luisa's scabbards are based on moon phases :D

i also arbitrarily decided that del people love swishy clothes. they're all about the drama of cloaks and twirling in sundresses etc it's fun. not sure if i will actually follow through with that lol or maybe that can just be luisa.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 i think hearing luisa laugh would heal me

there's no particular reason for why i've been drawing a lot of del people as black, other than maybe spite lol. i think i drew jasmine and that got the ball rolling. del is a blank enough slate that they can be anything. im tired of white people being the front runners asldkjfhalsdf. bUT again del is multicultural, so there isn't a particular look for anyone in del. being del is more a state of mind and being part of community i think. you move to del and you participate in their society in one way or another and boom youre del now they adopted you.

🌈 PLAINS

hiran attire inspired by french aristocratic fashion. i cant remember who posted about it but pretty sure this was something that circulated around the fandom at least a little bit at some point.

added some subtle rainbow to harlow's outfits because he's the strong silent type. but i suppose there are so much more gaudier and extravagant outfits.

i was going to say this was just hira fashion and not like, rural plains fashion but i guess this is the same for all of them. it's just like a general direction for what someone might wear.

the swirly patterns?? i dont know. i drew them when i did adin's pre-battle speech as the last supper but i dont think there's a particular reason. i remember that i was trying to do something unique because lief recognises the cup in the city of rats as the same/similar to the one in noradz, so there had to be something to be recognisable lol but i probably just did it this way because it's relatively easy to doodle, just takes a bit of time.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 harlow was a cook before the shadow invasion. out of desperation, he and many others had to train to defend hira. he's big with natural balance and reflexes so he excelled and is a pretty adept warrior, but he will always think of himself as a cook first, warrior second.

now the armour!! freshest headcanon piping hot. yesterday when i was colouring i was sitting there like wow you look like a tin can man and you are so boring. we went from pretty colours to blank. im almost certain the hiran soldiers were described as silver with white plumes, so i was planning on doing that but they had intricate details on their armour because they are Extra, so it has the swirly patterns you can see on harlow's coat.

but then suddenly i was like. what if. pearlescent.

and honestly i loved it so much i didnt care i was setting myself up for some difficult work ahead lmao. but my general idea was that they're armour looked like it was silver, but if the light catches it at the right angle it exposes the rainbow in it. most of these headcanons i've had baking for at least a year, but this is very new so i dont any hard details yet. kira mentioned enamel or ceramic and lowkey interested in having a look into that so that theres another armour material. maybe it's gonna be like special jalis gold and special plains silver. maybe something else. i also just remembered bismuth exists (same boat as gold as very heavy and soft) but i think maybe it's too loud, i think im liking the more subtle pearlescent thing aLTHOUGH it's a good metallic rainbow reference 👀 maybe there is an esteemed plains warrior with a rainbow sword

ANYWAY pearlescent armour really hit my heart because oh my god once upon a time the plains had a shore and they could visit the sea,,,, lowkey ocean vibes without an ocean [screaming crying cat spinning in a void.gif]

🥳 fun fact 🥳 i have NO idea what food harlow has made. i think i had ratatouille on the brain at the time????

🟥 RALADS

⚠ PROPAGANDA ALERT ⚠

ruby territory best territory. ruby symbol of happiness. warns of danger AND antidote to poison. double helpful. ralads are so sweet and so smart. architectural and engineering marvels. living in harmony with the land and beasts. D'OR!!! manus and nanion friendship underrated and so special to me. horse girls. AND. broome. god theres so much i could say about broome that i cant say anything. anyway you guys know im normal about broome yes of course. separate post etc etc

i think technically this is a headcanon but it's not that big a stretch surely but as above i always picture ralads as in harmony with nature. never take more than they need, know how to work with not against, theyre not the main attraction but an equal part of the bigger picture.. this isn't even about how smart they are with engineering and their perfectly round houses with bricks that are cut perfectly. im thinking about their knowledge of their world is so strong and wide and diverse. they have the most vibrant and potent dyes and pigments around, they have the most colourful fabrics and clothes around. the plains has many colours but it can't compete, and they have different styles. i think that the hirans would trade for the dyes though (maybe undercutting pre-adin, maybe more equal post-unification). i think that they would also have a pretty decent blue dye but it is still inferior to mere lapis lazuli blue. it is probably a dye that could be used for a mid range mere garment?

maybe it's the anime fault but i do usually imagine ralads as barefoot but i also drew iris with construction tools and just the idea of ralads walking around a construction site barefoot was not fun to me. but it could be a hobbit tough soles situation. anyway i drew some shoes so i had a vague reference if i wanted to draw ralad shoes.

obviously had a problem drawing warrior attire for a non-war race. but i thought what if i leaned into the stories the hirans tell about how the scouts and soldiers they send into the ralad wilds never returned and were often found dead with broken bones or whatnot. definitely big watching but never seen vibes imo. so i decked iris out in some camouflage lol

🥳 fun fact 🥳 im sure the ralads can whistle and whatnot to make birdcall signals, but i thought it was fun for iris to be able to make birdcalls with her flute

HEY ALSO headcanon about ralad hair. i was making some dragon art from a doran pov that i was going to save for that but i cant wait now. but we know from Tales that the ralads had a good relationship with the ruby dragons, could even summon them (unless im misremembering and it was more like a premeditated calling) but i was thinking about how they nest with .. human? hair. and i was thinking what if they grow out their hair? and then they offer it to a dragon when they are ready? i dont know if there's a nesting season for dragons but it could be something like that? ralad-dragon ceremony and party time. this isn't a rite of passage type of thing, just something that they like to do. not everyone does it probably, but most do it once, some people do it several or many times in their lifetime. it's an honour, but not really a sacrifice to them. it's part of the world balance and theyre willing to serve the dragons as the dragons serve them as they water the plants and the plants feed them and they feed beasts and beasts feed them.

also dont remember why i did the hair so bright and orangey??? genuinely perplexed lmao. probably was leaning into irl ginger but like THEYRE BLUE so i could probably make them actual red. not sure if this is also like a "theres something in the ground" situation also that makes their hair red but maybe 😂😂

side note but it's lowkey so wild to me that rodda was like yeah these guys are blue-grey with red hair, and then everyone else is like an average person, BUT the mountain people are short. like they're all just some guy basically???

it does make return to del so so funny because fallow is like AYO look at these MONSTERS they are UGLY and WEIRD

but i guess thats part of the motivation to give the deltora tribes some basic unique traits.

🟪 TORANS

okay so toran robes as inspired by japanese fashion is definitely something that's floated around the fandom for ages. i can't remember if it was before or after seeing posts about it that i started my first concept sketches but i think it probably had a hand in helping me visualise what rodda was talking about when she described their robes as butterfly wings when they speed-travelled. like yeah big deep sleeves and floor trailing hems WOULD probably look like colourful butterfly wings in the wind,,

🥳 fun fact 🥳 azami be always hungry. if only she knew someone who liked to cook 🤔

i don't have much to say design-wise, kinda just did various doodling. they would probably be second in extravagance to the plains, but it's a different sort of detail? they are probably a bit more refined and elegant than the hirans who are probably more bold in their designs. torans grow to be vain and selfish (it's already started by adin's time) so they probably have a high value on the beauty of their belongings, and it probably began with imagery of beasts and plants and dragons in amethyst territory, "true" pictures. but as time went on it probably distorted a bit and became idealised and/or fantastical etc.

OKAY SO my brain bluescreened just now for a moment trying to figure out how a people who use magic to make life easier, were also the ones known for their weaving, a manual hands-on task (lief's cloak is praised as being worthy of toran looms, implying high grade; pretty sure this was supposed to be a hint that his mother is not who he thinks she is also). some conclusions are 1) they weave with magic (sad, horrible), 2) they weave as a past-time, for fun etc (okay) but i took it to a third option

for a long time ive been thinking about toran magic as like, a balance and an energy thing (because i like that stuff lol) they cannot create something from nothing, only change things. they couldnt summon a fire, but they could change a piece of wood to fire and start a campfire, or those more advanced could even change the air into fire. but honestly it's left me a bit unsatisfied. like how does that explain the tora-del highway? hELL tora itself? what happened to the marble that got carved away? also how can that mountain have been so perfect there was no cracks or seams?? or did they carve those bits out lol. questions for another day.

anyway i was thinking about how hobbies are good for you, you dont have to be good at something but it's good to do stuff for fun and when you do crafts you get a cool thing at the end of it that you made. but it's also like skills you can develop? and i wondered what if weaving is a starter skill that they learn, some of them at least. maybe there are different activities, and they do the one that speaks to them the most. there were other types of artisans in tora, just not as talked about (i guess they're robes are pretty iconic so it's easy for people to go wow robes wow weavers who made fabric for the robes so soft) like i distinctly remember barda remarking about how tora was untouched and why bandits wouldn't have stolen the carved box that ended up holding the auto-reply letters from the palace.

so what im thinking is that maybe this builds a foundation to help torans visualise and perform their magic?

it actually solves a problem ive had in my headcanons i feel like ive got seven eyes open rn 😂😂 but in relation to del culture and traditions, i've been thinking about there being a physical and spiritual realm of course, and maybe it's the comfort of threes but it felt like something was missing.

i dont know what to call it yet, but im thinking the third thing is like the glue, it connects all things, it's in everything. it's like a third realm but also more of like a medium maybe? kind of sappy but we can just call this the magical realm for now. i actually used to think of toran magic as being like a subset of the greater deltora magic, but now im thinking it's more like torans are more receptive to the magic realm, as del are to the spiritual, and the ralads to the physical; theyre the experts in these things, which is why unified deltora is important 😂; likewise dread gnomes specialise in gems, jalis in combat, mere in cunning, plains in hope perhaps? literally never thought about it quite like this so maybe i will process it different later and designate different specialties.

so when the torans are young, they learn a craft and these skills help them sort of "tap into" the magical realm. so in the case i first thought of, when a toran weaver starts to see and interact with the magical realm, the easiest way for them to engage with it would be to think of it as weaving. they might see the magical realm as threads that connect everything, and weave things together to get what they want. a potter might see it as a malleable mass and sculpt what they want. a carpenter might see it as something to carve, something to break and put together.

the magical realm is not a concrete thing at all, up to interpretation, perhaps a unique experience to anyone who could glimpse in; don't strictly have to be toran, but they are perhaps naturally receptive to it or it could even be entirely a knowledge thing and that they are taught about it more; someone like verity who had her eyes opened to this realm, and learned to interact with it on instinct. does open questions to what the hell is up with the plains lmao but i think thats another post.

__

sorry about all the "i'll tell you in another post" i was attempting to stay on track 😂😂 also there's a 90% chance im gonna forget to come back and write about them so if anyone is dying to know feel free to send me an ask or something???

also if you want to know more about these OCs let me know 👀 i can find an ask game or something maybe. it's a case of i know a lot but will forget it all if asked to speak freely, i need specific questions. i have also developed the first four a bit more, but the last three are not without character so they can still be included. maybe it will be a group effort and they will have Background.

[yzeltia]

FFXIVwrite2024 9. Lend an Ear

Characters: Violet Fisher, Wuk Lamat, Koana, Gulool Ja, Alisaie Levilluer, U'rahn Nuhn, Alphinaud Levilluer, Estinien Wyrmblood Expansion: Dawntrail Rating: T Summary: The younger Scions seek guidance in matters of the heart. Notes: I'm so sorry Jannie that you were meant to talk to Alphinaud QwQ Estinien just showed up.

“...Did you just ask me how I knew that I was in love with Riol?”

Violet cocked her eyebrow at Wuk Lamat mid sip on a rather colorful looking drink inside a pineapple, getting a rather eager nod from the Third Promise. She paused, then sat down the drink, staring at it a moment before shaking her head. “Swive if I know. He was just a long time swive-buddy and over a long…long time until I let my guard down. Why? Are you suddenly making eyes at Bakool Ja Ja,” Violet teased, pushing the little umbrella in her drink about the rim as she grinned at Wuk Lamat.

“Noooooo! Don’t even put that out there! I want him as much as I want cilantro in my tacos,” Wuk Lamat said, shaking her head before sticking out her tongue as if she’d eaten something foul. “I just want to know how you know it’s like, real and stuff.”

Violet looked around Xbalyav T’ve then back at Wuk Lamat. “Are you seriously asking me? I mean literally anyone else would be swiven better. Like U’rahn, despite being himself, is way more in touch with that sort of thing than I am.”

“Oh, c’mon Violet! I can’t ask him because he’ll end up saying something and embarrass me if I’m wrong,” Wuk Lamat protested.

Violet sighed, then leaned on the counter a bit. “Fine, but again I’ll warn you that I’m the least versed in this sort of thing. The first guy I fell for was practically myself,” she started, rubbing her brow, thinking it would be best to leave out that she’d literally absorbed Ardbert’s soul into herself. “But he’s gone now. As for Riol, well.”

Wuk Lamat’s eyes widened as Violet brushed her hair back from her face and rolled her eyes. “It’s like I said. We swived a lot and got emotionally tangled to the point where I felt that I could trust him with more than my body. He listens to me and doesn’t let me get away with my usual avoidant bullshite. He likes to tease me and I don’t get mad at him for it, just flustered. And I guess he makes me laugh and I think about him when I have a stray thought.”

Wuk Lamat nodded as Violet blushed and held herself, avoiding the other’s eager gaze. “I see. So then when you love someone you trust them with everything. They make you feel good about yourself. And um, make you feel good physically,” Wuk Lamat listed.

“More or less. I’m sure there’s a more nuanced manner of putting it,” Violet said with a shrug before returning to her drink.

“You explained it well enough! Thank you Violet,” Wuk Lamat said before hurrying off back to Vollok Shoonsa to find Koana.

Her brother was in his study, quietly enjoying some imported tea from Old Sharalyan while brushing up on Yak T’el with a book in hopes of preparing for the penultimate rite. Wuk Lamat entering his room, he looked up. “Lamaty’i? What is it?”

“So I’ve been thinking. V’anille has been traveling with me, no? But he came here to see you right? You’re still being friendly even though you’re working against each other.”

“Yes. While I have admittedly under estimated their value to my perusits, I don’t begrudge sticking with you. If anything, I respect him more for sticking to his promise to aid you despite my attempt to win him back over to my side,” Koana answered.

“So you’d say you trust him then? Right?”

“Yes. With you. With my our family. With my life,” Koana said before returning to his book. “If that’s all, you should rest for tomorrow.”

“I have another question though! Does V’anille make you feel good about yourself,” Wuk Lamat asked, staring down at her brother. 

Koana clapped his book shut, a bit startled by the question. Sitting up in his seat, he set the tome aside then pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m unsure why this is relevant Lamaty’i.”

“Just answer Koana!”

Koanna sighed, exasperated by his sister as she leaned in expectantly. “Yes. Anille was a very good friend during my time in Eorzea and continues to prove to be by being supportive of my efforts without conflicting with your interests in the challenges we’ve faced together. Needless to say, I am fond of his company. What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’m getting there! Okay?” Wuk Lamat said before crossing her arms, looking away as her cheeks turned red. “So then…have you two. Well, have you two kissed and stuff?”

“LAMATY’I,” Koana shouted, standing up as his tail flicked high, cheeks crimson underneath his glasses.

“You have! Brother! You’re in love! I knew it! Oh! I am so happy for you. Are you going to propose after the Rites? Did you tell papa yet?”

“Out! Out now,” Koana ordered, his sister laughing as she hurried toward the door. “And don’t say anything to Annille!”

“Sure! I won’t Koana,” Wuk Lamat taunted before hurrying out toward the throne room. “Papa! Papa guess what!?”

“LAMATY’I,” Koana yelled out.

Gulool Ja Ja sighed as he heard his children run through the halls laughing, Resolve looking toward Reason’s veiled head. “It fills our heart to know some things will never change, doesn’t it brother?”

-

Alisaie sighed loudly as she rested her cheek in her fist, having yet to touch her plate of tacos before her. Beside her, U’rahn stared at the plate then back to Alisaie, and then the plate again as he’d been doing not so subtly for the past few minutes. Rolling her eyes, Alisaie slid over the plate. “Here. I’m not going to eat them.”

“Hey Hey! You don’t have to to that,” he said, despite picking one up and happily chomping into it with a purr.

Alisaie narrowed her eyes then shook her head, returning to her light brooding. U’rahn satiated, he looked to her then swallowed his mouthful. “Ah. So, why so glum?”

“It’s nothing,” Alisaie said quickly.

“Nu-uh. C’mon. You’ve been gloomy all afternoon. I notice these things cause I’m a dad now. I’ve got like, super empathy. Maybe it’s like Krile’s? Does the Echo evolve? Ah, that doesn’t matter right now. Let me dad you! It’ll be good practice,” U’rahn babbled before leaning forward with a big grin.

Alisaie’s eye twitched a bit, unsure how to respond before shaking her head and deciding it was just best to let him hear her out and offer whatever silly thing he’d come up with rather than deny him and hurt his feelings. “Alright then. I’m just feeling a little jealous of Alphinaud today. It’s silly, but he is a lot more readily sociable than I. When we were at the Studium, others would mistake him for me and bring me his Valentione’s or whisper their love confessions to me on accident. And now he’s off on his linkpearl with Jullus telling him all about our adventures. I don’t really have anyone to talk to like that. It’s all really silly, and the feeling will pass. It always does.”

U’rahn finished his first taco then used a napkin to wipe the crumbs off his face before sitting up straight. He cracked his neck, as if getting ready to square off in a big fight then turned to face Alisae, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Okay! First off, your feelings are not silly. I’m silly. Estinien is silly. You having the blues is not and it is okay for you to feel that way. As for friendships, Alphinaud is just more of a social butterfly. He’s good with words and you’re better with actions and at the end of the day it’s the quality of friend and not the quantity that really matters. You’ve met and helped so many people that care about you. Not to mention you’ve got all the Scions, and most importantly: me! Ah!! And if you really want someone to talk to about stuff that really misses you, Lyse I’m sure would love it if you told her all about Tural and maybe sent her a few presents. And if not Lyse, then I know eight little huntresses and a tia that would love for their big sister Alisaie to tell them all about how she climbed the tallest and scariest mountain in all of Tural!”

Alsaie blinked as U’rahn raised his hand high for emphasis, then started to laugh. U’rahn’s ears sank a bit, smile turning into a straight line as his young friend tried to calm her chuckling. “What? No good?”

“Very good actually. You’re surprisingly not bad at this dad thing. I feel much improved,” Alisaie said before hopping off her chair. “I think it would be nice to reconnect with Lyse again. Thank you Rahn,” she said before giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek before hurrying off to find good reception for her linkpearl. U’rahn beamed, fluttering his ears and tail joyfully before returning to his tacos, only to have them yoinked out from under him by Alisaie.

“Oi Oi! Get you’re own,” U’rahn called out.

“They were my own,” Alisaie called back.

“Oh yeah…”

-

Alphinaud swallowed as he stared in the mirror, poking at his stomach as he stood in his trousers in front of his dresser believing he was alone until a loud thump sounded out from the deck to his sea-facing dock. Jumping, he let out a scream as Estinien wandered in, raising his brow high. “What in the Hells are you doing?”

“N-Nothing! Get out Estinien,” Alphinaud breathed out, grasping for his undershirt.

Estinien looked at the mirror then back to Alphinaud. “I see. So you’ve taken to preening. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look and smell good. A growing lad like you is probably experiencing the new unpleasant realities of budding man hood. I recommend a daily bath and to visit an alchemist to pick up conditioner for your hair to use twice a week to keep your hair nice and healthy which is essential for an adventurer.”

“I-I am twenty summers Estinien. I am long acquainted with the changes of my body,” Alphinuad breathed out, torn between anger and embarrassment before shaking his head. “Mostly, that is.”

Estinien crossed his arms then gave a sage nod. “I see. You’re wondering when you’ll sprout up.”

“A little. I have seen most of our world, and beyond. I’ve done more than most my age and probably will do in their lifetime. Not to mention I am a year older than this body. I feel like it should have caught up by now. Even U’rahn is taller than I, and he is only two years my senior. I just feel out of place sometimes standing next to my friends.”

Estinien nodded, getting lost in thought for a moment. “This would not have anything to do with your Garlean paramour, would it?”

Alphinuad grit his teeth, cheeks burning as Estinien somehow hit the nail on his head. Before he could say otherwise, Estinien took a seat and gave a sage nod before crossing his arms and leaning back to address him.

“Now it all makes sense. I remember well the summers of my early twenties, eagerly awaiting to outgrow the Hyur in my regiment who had towered over me since my enlistment. How eager I was for manhood and all the things that come with it. I suppose it is time someone spoke to you about the fairer sex…or um, well, I suppose your Garlean peer. That’s going to take some thinking but the importance of being safe and hygiene is more or less universal no matter your partner,” Estininen started.

Alphinuad felt the life leave his body, just staring at Estinien. Wanting to evaporate on the spot, he let Estinien talk, not letting the words register in his head as the man made vague hand gestures, of which he hadn’t the faintest idea of how it could relate to the matters of intercourse. When he finally could feel his senses return to him he shook his head and waved his hands. “For the love of the Twelve! My father had this talk with me quite some time ago. Please, I beg you, stop.”

Estinien was taken back a moment then stood up. “I suppose it is natural that he would have. Well, if you have any questions that you’re too embarrassed to ask him, you can always come to me. I will let you return to your mirror gazing. And remember, it’s not the size of the man, but the size of his heart,” he said before wandering back out to the dock then launching himself upward to who knows where.

Alphinuad stumbled back against the wall, shaking his head. After letting out a sigh, he stood back up then looked in the mirror. “Well, I guess he got it right in the end,” he said before heading to his wicker lounge to pick up a book and try to purge the memory with some reading.

[linkspooky]

Same anon for the Gojo post - loved your reply and mostly agree. However, although I see his motivations similarly + think it will come to bite him v soon, I kinda sympathise with him as I feel it's the role his strength has pushed him into. Like yes, he has people that care for him but the power difference is so extreme that he has to stand alone even when he's literally melting his brain to keep up. imo Gege might want to show that that much power in one person is inherently not a good thing

Continuing the discussion from [this post] and [this response], I agree anon Gojo is in the end a product of the system that he hates so much. Perhaps that's why Gojo's attempt at rebellion against sorcerer society is so flawed, because in the end he is still the Golden Child of that same society. In traditional Golden Child fashion there's basically no thought paid to the hardships in Gojo's life and he's not really seen as a person outside of his ability as a sorcerer.

Gojo's entire character is a meditation on having unlimited strength, and the limitations that come with it. He even realizes pretty early that all the strength in the world doesn't mean he's always capable of doing whatever he wants, and that he'll be able to save everyone he wants to save. My friend justapanda made a meta on how Gojo's actually one of the most limited characters in the series because of the nature of his strengths. I can list off the similiarities between Sukuna and Gojo all day, but unlike Sukuna, Gojo for the most part uses his strength for the masses and sorcerer society as a whole.

It seems only natural that not only would having the strength to fight a small nation's army single handedly alienate you from your much weaker peers, but also carrying sorcerer society on your back and working alone would only further serve to distance you from others.

Not only does Gojo continually work alone, none of his fellow teachers or sorcerers have any idea who he is - like as a person. There's an extra in volume ten where a lot of the main cast is interviewed about Gojo and they all just say some variation of "he's the strongest".

None of them say anything personal. On top of that we know for a fact several of the people who work with Gojo, including Nanami say that they can't stand him as a person but respect him as a sorcerer.

There's a pretty simliar character in Tokyo Ghoul who occupies the same spot that Gojo does as "The Strongest". An unnatural talent that puts all the other investigators / fighters in the CCG to shame and someone so unshakably strong he has no compettitors and seems untouchable in battle.

On top of that he seems to have no life / role / friends outside of his job. There's even a similiar scene wher eone character tries to interview everyone else to learn more about him.

In a twist it's revealed that despite Arima being the strongest character in the story, with a genius and talent that many people envied was someone with little to no agency over their own life. They're a natural born fighter yes, but in this case that's literal. He's a born and bred child soldier and that's the only thing he was ever allowed to be.

He's a character born to fight and kill ghouls, and nothing else. Even though he's perfect at what he does, he hates his life, he hates that he was born only to kill and he wants out of it. To the point where he turns against the society that made him just like Gojo did, even if he's one of the most respected members of that same society.

However, even if Arima wants to destroy the society he's a part of he's too big of a cog in that machine that he can't really see himself living in the new world. As one of the old guard when he destroys the old society he plans on dying along with it, and that's exactly what he does. He's too much of a product of the society he came from to exist without it, or eevn imagine anything better, the most he can do is destroy the old and hope someone else will make something new.

Arima and Gojo are characters who are similiarly people with talent that would supposedly allow them to do anything in life, but are actually rather limited in their agency. They're both stuck in the role that they were born in.

I'd say the difference is that Arima is much more self aware than Gojo will ever be. Gojo knows that he's lonely, he knows that there's something wrong with the society around him and he wants to fix it, but I think despite the fact that he did come to the realization that strength won't save everyone he still uses strength as his go-to problem solver.

His solution to the child soldiers that Jujutsu Society makes and sacrifices is to just... make stronger child soldiers. He says his goal is to destroy things and shake them up but he's not really out for destruction he's just making a regime change and putting his people in charge instead. Gojo knows Jujutsu Society is wrong, but he can't quite decode the "might makes right" that's been programmed into his head.

Having put that much power and responsibility on Gojo's shoulders may have just permanently rewired his brain to where he can't see himself existing outside of his role or any life outside of one as the strongest sorcerer like Arima's own tragic existence. Arima at least is self-aware enough to know that he doesn't want this life though, whereas Gojo is still charging ahead being Gojo.

You mention Gojo is literally melting his brain fighting alone, and just this latest chapter Kashimo even says something along the lines of even if it saves Gojo's life or beats Sukuna don't inrevene in the fight because this is Gojo's fight. Gojo's pride at being the strongest, is apparently more important than his life or the grand scheme of things.

You know priorities, but it does make sense this is tragically the only thing Gojo has really to base his identity around. Arima can't imagine a life in the better world he wants to create, whereas Gojo only know sorcerer society values of strength.

It makes me wonder if we're going to get a similiar ending to Gojo as we are to Arima. The tragic nature of being the strongest and his role as the golden boy of sorcerery society has just made it so that he can't really imagine a better world than the one we have right now, even if he wants to change or shake up sorcer society he's just too entrneched in it.

Arima ends his life by committing suicide to help bring down the CCG, whereas I don't see Gojo committing suicide but it's possible that the same way Arima died to bring down the old society with him Gojo might similiarly die alongside Sukuna. As a way to show that the old way of being a sorcerer and prioritizing strength over everything else is dying as an ideal and Gojo's students are going to rise up and replace him with a new way of doing things.

Which would make Gojo's character tragic in the same way Arima's is. Someone who genuinely wants better for the world but is unable to grow and adapt in time and therefore can't survive in the new world they want to create.

[carefulfears]

okay the hank & mia ask i've been struggling with: i genuinely have no real thoughts about this show, just intense feelings. like i truly love it, all the characters and relationships, but especially these two. and i just wonder at all the ways they're similar. i always go back to the scene on the balcony

i have intense feelings about this show too and a hard time articulating so many of them, this topic included. it's funny because this is something that i've talked about absolutely non-stop for coming close to a year and have broken down from seemingly every angle and i still don't know how to pull it all together or what to say, where to start. most people who would care have heard me run the talking points through a thousand times over.

they asked duchovny this question too ("is mia at all similar to hank?") on the season 2 DVD and i literally hopped out of my seat when i heard that in my longest "i've been saying" ever, because it's something that i find very interesting and emotional but that i was a little surprised to find was as intentional as it is in the text. one of the first times that i talked about it was this tweet: "they're very similar people and it drives me crazy...when you have a dead mom, an absent dad, and you act out by putting yourself in dangerous disrespectful sexual situations."

and i used the word "disrespectful" because there's a quote of duchovny's that always reminds me of mia: "hank's lack of respect is really for himself, not for anybody else." which i think is an insightful observation about mr. moody and his relationship to women and culture and himself, but that also relates a lot to this idea of "acting out" and of sexual encounters as infringing on something personal. which is an experience familiar to that of a young woman trying to develop those relationships and sense of self, during a very spongy time where it's easy to infringe upon.

and so yeah what i'm saying is basically that hank moody has the constitution and coping mechanisms and vulnerabilities of a teenage girl (or as i put it in this tweet: "he has abandoned 16-year-old girl swag")

or how duchovny answered when they asked, is mia at all similar to hank, on the DVD: "you kinda know that there's...that her behavior is being driven by some problems, you know, and you wanna reach out and try to help that. and i think hank has a little of that too. you know, obviously they've got a history that makes everything complicated. but i think that he feels paternal towards her more than anything."

or how madeline zima put it: "mia is a wealthy girl who has had every luxury and is now probably really bored. she's been touched by hank's writing- it may be the only time she's been affected or stimulated in that way. so she's looking for something new, something exciting, and she finds that. and i don't think hank has found many people who are on his wavelength."

mia is the only character on the show that can really go toe-to-toe with hank and match him and never waver to him, which is why she's so diabolical to a certain demographic. they even call it out in the show: "did you see how completely unfazed she was by hank? i mean, no offense, he's a cool guy, but it was kind of pathetic, right?" (dani to charlie after the book meeting)

the only times that hank ever really surprises her or throws her for a loop or catches her off guard is when he's genuinely investing in her. (like when she's struggling in her writing class and he tells her that he'll help her if she just writes something and lets him read it, her eyes go SO WIDE when she has the "really? you'd do that for me?" line.)

and for the most part, outside of the obvious, mia doesn't surprise hank either. he is the only person in the world who really knows her and what she's doing and what her life is like.

we were talking in the group-chat the other night about the scene in season 2 when karen says that mia asked her opinion ("it was like she was kind of asking my approval") on dating an "older man," a scene that's one of my favorites of the series and such a delicious example of dramatic irony.

hank is instantly on offense ("i hope you shut that shit down immediately." / "why would you say something like that?" / "that's foul." / "this gross 'older man' thing.")

while karen is so much more relaxed and talking about her own times in college and how it can be a "valid life experience" with "the right guy."

and what i love about this scene is that they aren't having the same conversation, they aren't talking about the same thing, but so much of that difference is what we said: karen thinks that mia is her, hank knows that she's him.

the kind of dynamic that karen imagines when she hears her 17-year-old stepdaughter who is about to graduate and travel the country say “older man” is a world away from the reality that mia actually inhabits, and that hank knows about. as jaden pointed out when we discussed it, when karen finds out that mia is having sex with lew ashby, she freaks the fuck out!! she goes and throws shit at him and yells and cusses at him and rants at him about how she’s a child. (and hank has the nerve to go “you’re the one who condoned it” during their “parental units” phone call L.M.F.A.O.)

karen tries to look after mia and be there for her (“we are meant to be taking care of her”), but they have such a strained relationship always. and she really isn’t equipped, especially as kept in the dark as she is. it’s honestly really sad the way that you can tell mia regrets pushing karen away.

but hank knows her. he says it himself in mia culpa: “i know you. you’re a mischievous little fuck, but you’re not malicious.” (in the same scene where he tells her that she can do better than her exploitative boyfriend, that karen loves her, that becca looks up to her. holds her hand when she tears up)

and they’re able to say anything around each other. it’s this twisted thing where no one else knows their secrets. i was thinking about the other day, how duchovny always says that his favorite thing about hank moody is that he always tells the truth, and his favorite thing about mia lewis is that it’s the one time he doesn’t. it’s this pervasive exception to a rule that bonds them. the most devastating thing about it all, to me, is that there comes a time when you realize that there is no one else looking out for this girl. there is no one else who looks at her teacher and knows there’s danger. there is no one else that she feels she can call to come get her when she’s in trouble. there is no one else to read her writing or ask where she’s going when she leaves the house. (“my own father has never so much as helped with my homework” / “my dad’s always out of town, i don’t think he cares about my whereabouts”)

but they can tell each other and joke with each other and ask each other (loser shit for grown ass mr. moody but still). one of my favorite moments is when the print review of “mia’s book” comes out and she hops on his bed to wake him up so they can read it together: “it’s our review in the times!” (so much talk and discourse over her stealing his manuscript, it’s their story, it’s their book.)

in more ways than one, considering that both books (hank’s “modern day answer to lolita” and mia’s “nabokov meets judy blume”) are responses to their big secret that they intend for the person closest to them to read. hank is heartbroken when karen won’t read his new book, and we know from charlie that all it takes is “the first page” to figure out the truth. mia wants her dad to read hers, and when he calls it a “fantasy” about hank, she nearly blows the whole thing when she gets upset and snaps “who said it was fantasy?”

these are ultimately two people who want to be seen, who want to be understood, who want to be taken seriously- and they both put that pervasive truth on paper then immediately in the hands of the person that they each should fear ever finding out. it’s the defining moment of their lives, and they both try, and they both are still left with just each other. (what a trap it can be when the person you relate to the most is the most regrettable thing that ever happened to you)

it's these circumstances that lead to the scene on the balcony, my favorite of the series. they haven't seen each other since the arrest. she's back in town for the trial. and everything is so awful. each character is so much darker and weighed down. and every single time that we see mia in season 4 she's drunk or drugged or crying or all of the above.

it always makes me sad to think of her at 16 or 17 or even 19, joking around and being her "mad as a hatter" self, and then to see her on that ledge. hollywood's latest victim.

in a couple of weeks she'll be shaking in a court room, looking over at him from the witness stand, but for today she's on the balcony. remarking how easy it would be to just let go, just fall off. and still, no less tragically, there's only one person to come get her, and know what to say.

"you know what we need to do, mia?"

"what's that?"

"we need to forgive our fucking selves. you understand?"

[ooops-i-arted]

ahsoka still calling anakin a 'good master' after everything he fucking did to her oh my god, ENOUGH!

cowboy hat man won't give it a rest. he wants to throw ahsoka in everything and have her ascend to glorified creator's pet status, but he still can't figure out how to feature her without making her whole worth and existence about anakin. a two year relationship that ended with the master nearly murdering his padawan gets to be highlighted repeatedly, as if it was the most emotionally resonant thing to ever happen to ahsoka and anakin. instead of literally any other relationship that could be explored more.

screw ahsoka's other relationships from the jedi temple or the clones. she can hang out with rebels characters who are reduced to hollow husks of themselves while she has the charisma of a plank. but let's remind everyone how special and awesome she is because anakin was assigned to her for a short time. ahsoka is almost fifty years old now, were the options really that limited? screw respecting anakin's kids who achieved their own legacies and played important roles in the rebellion, defying what he chose to become. luke and leia are barely present in these galactic events and it's rare for their names to be mentioned at all. and who the hell is padme at this point?

ahsoka's writing has been unimpressive for a while now and i haven't cared about her story beyond fandom osmosis. but her show probably isn't even servicing people who actually liked her from tcw anymore, it's about whatever caters to filoni's warped perception of these characters.

Not only is it egregious because we know Anakin is a child murderer, Ahsoka NEVER moves on or comes to terms with it! She just keeps wallowing in it so Filoni can wank off to Anakin licking Ahsoka's butthole. Also: two years. There's no way she's near as speshul to him as Padme (the woman he was in love with for 10+ years and his wife) or Obi-Wan (his Master who was like a brother to him, again for over a decade) or Shmi (his freakin' mother and likely his one point of stability in a chaotic childhood as a slave). Don't even tell me that if Anakin was dropped in the World Between Contrived Time Travel he would save Ahsoka over any of them lmao. Or drop her like a hot potato if he had to choose between Ahsoka and Luke, his son and the last remnant he has of Padme (her son), Obi-Wan (guarded and trained by), Shmi (her grandson) and pretty much the one person he was able to commit an act of true, unselfish love for (killing Palps).

I do feel bad for the fans since I've seen plenty of comments that it's "not her" and that RD's portrayal is just so flat and devoid of smirky smugness/cheekiness/whatever. I personally may hate it but it is part of her character. And you're right, why is it only people she isn't connected to? She barely knew the Rebels crew and mostly as Fulcrum, so a professional relationship, not a friendship. Not to mention Sabine being forced into a Jedi Padawan role despite NEVER showing Force sensitivity or any interest in being a Jedi, and she lived with two of them for years. She had plenty of opportunity to ask Kanan if she wanted to be trained! But nah, we gotta give Ahsoka a Padawan and throw in some forced girl power stuff on the side. (As a former little girl who deeply craved female representation in the male-dominated stories I loved, I can tell you, little girls can tell when it's forced.) (Also Sabine choosing to force herself into a Jedi role out of grief for missing Kanan and Ezra instead of actually being into it or confronting her feelings of loss could've been a really interesting character moment. But nah.)

Side note but I also find it interesting that Rex is barely in this show. Wasn't Rex Ahsoka's clone counterpart? They're very close friends? He's still alive and kicking and could help her out? That would be a really cool relationship to explore? Or did Filoni realize he can't whitewash a real Māori man the way he can animated clones?

(Also I saw this ask before bed and woke up thinking about Mara Jade and Jaina Solo, a female teacher-student relationship that was so badass, and now I want Mara Jade being Rey's teacher and helping her confront her relationship to Palpatine and Rey having the guidance of someone who Gets It, can you imagine. We could've had it alllllllll)

[highpriestess13]

Collective Reading!

Y’all know there’s a conjunction happening this Saturday right? On 4/20 👀👀. Let’s get into the energies happening for you guys on this day!

For starters, I see someone making a clear decisive decision to let something go and step into something new. I feel this may be between you and someone else, water and air energy… possibility of fire as well. Someone may have went into a connection with someone or gotten married and now someone may be having either doubts, there may be a lot turbulence or someone just wasn’t who they said they were. If that’s the case, I see a settlement or a divorce happening or this may be 2 people deciding to get help like a therapist or marriage counseling. However I do feel like someone is choosing to communicate that something may not be working out so there’s an ending to a relationship whether romantic or platonic. I’m not sure if someone is bipolar or constantly has mood swings, I also feel like someone has too much going on emotionally, so prioritizing the right things will help someone regain balance. So this Saturday, you may see a lot of divorces, breakups whether it’s your personal experience or others.

TRAVELING! I see some traveling for you guys, for some this may be for work. If it’s not a literal travel this could be a shift/ change of mindset. This shift will gear you towards focusing on your bag. You’re releasing the past and not letting it get to you or stop you from achieving certain goals for yourself. It’s also giving entrepreneurial energy. If this isn’t you, this is someone possibly coming towards you that have these qualities or energy. Or they may be a guide to you in some way. 666 is confirmation and I’m also getting “allow for things to happen”. This motivation is going to stem from the past like someone transmuting old energy into new energy.

On Saturday… there’s someone dealing with inner turmoil or inner demons however you may look at it if this is you. There’s still pent up anger, trauma, negativity. Someone could be feeling like a loner, this may be due to either power struggle OR abuse of power. Either way I just feel you separating yourself from anyone and anything that’s toxic and unhealthy for you or that may bring up past trauma/ triggers. If you’ve been feeling triggered a lot, it’s time to look within a figure how to maneuver around it or through it so that you don’t cause harm to others and yourself. 99 and 44 are confirmation. Heavy on keeping yourself protected and guarded from devil like energy so that your energy doesn’t get mixed up.

Someone from a spiritually gifted family or this may be meeting/ choosing your soul family or tribe. This could be your ancestors as well. I see celebrations and recognition for planting a fertile ground for your current or future family to thrive in especially on a spiritual level. The seeds took time to grow and thrive and it took a lot of hard work, dedication, ups and downs but you got it done and your ancestors/ spirit guides are celebrating you. They’re definitely happy with all of the progress you’ve made… could’ve been for the last 7 years, give or take for some. There’s still more work to do because you have such a huge responsibility and this is why they love and respect you so much because even when things get rough and tough and too much to handle you still keep going. Some of you could be catching a break or taking a much needed one so vacations are on the horizon. “Dedication” is what I’m hearing.

I see some emotions coming back to the surface. Whether it’s fears or something that’s been hidden in the subconscious for some time. I’m hearing “lying dormant”. If things begin to resurface for you at this time, it’s because you’re needing to face them so that you can properly heal and align with the energy. Be gentle with yourself and others and show some compassion.. being harsh isn’t going to do any Justice for your now anyone but being gentle will.

There’s an argument bound to happen between 2 people possibly men. We have fire and air energy. Whoever this fire sign is, they’re going to be the one to attack first while the air sign keeps themselves grounded and strong minded and not entertain the other person’s approach… if that makes sense. I feel like this fire sign is upset because a female may have chosen the air sign make. With this situation, faith is being restored. Someone is leaving behind certain rules on how something should be and just going with what they want. I’m also seeing someone being a divine messenger as well.. Moses is significant too.

[seasonschange32]

I'm trying to watch Athena P lore videos because god are they entertaining and so funny. But here's some shows/movies I would love a lore deep dive on and why:

Inspector gadget reboot - the 'romance' between penny and Talon was so confusing yet endearing. Also, loving how chief Quimby just Disguises himself just to give gadget a misson

Total drama - not only was it a huge fan of gross out humor and has our overlord chris mclain, it literally introduced me to the ' bad boy x good girl' trope before ripping it out and taking a character ( who was literally perfect with another) and forcing them together due to aesthetics.

Transformers: robots in Disguise ( 2015) or Transformers prime - two shows that have fanbases debating ( seriously), each saying why each respective show is better. But other than that, both are fine for what they are and gave me two crushes that I hold dearly.

Mia and me - a fairy show that's not only animated but live action? With the main character having an ability to talk to unicorns? And with one of her bullies DISCOVERING HER SECRET LIFE??

Ben and hollies little kingdom - super wholesome and I love how the humans coinside with the fairies

Max and ruby - there's a tiktoker who made a whole series on why ruby was annoying. Need I say more?

Trollhunters and the spin off 3below - honestly from what I remember, I loved the stakes of the show and how cool the Armour the main character had. Regarding the spin off, loving how the bully I think was into the alien girl

Max steel ( not the 2000s one. sorry) - Max having to come up with the most unbelievable excuses as to why he has to go is cliche but also kind of funny? And the fact that the company Max's dad works for has lore as well is kind of interesting

Dino squad - I actually remembered this show through a cringe compilation of all things and had to add it. From the theme song, to the plotines, to the fact that I had a crush on Laruzo even though he was obviously queer coded ( his Dino form was cool though)

Jem and the holograms - the I am a giant song from the misfits lives in my head rent free. Also, jem practicing trying to reveal to that one guy only from him to yell at her is funny to me

Lolirock - same with jem as revolution is iconic as well as the villians. Plus, why is was eventually taken off

The tinker bell movies - forgot I was supposed to mention movies as well ( sorry). But I love them and how the fairies each have their own abilities ( as well as different kinds). From pirate fairies to winter fairies, it's really cool.

Barbie: a fashion fairytale - I love all barbie movies equally but this...this just takes the cake. What other movie will you see ken making a child cry, fairies with attitude, rotting dresses, and a roller skating aunt?

Zoom (2015) - the trailer showing a scene of the main character and her character arguing is honestly what made me want to watch it ( I haven't but I'm planning on it)

Super hero squad - kid me was laughing my butt off when falcon married his bird. So...

The little prince movie - I didn't even read the book but when I saw that the old man had died, I was emotionally devastated, especially after listening to all his stories which inspired the main character to go find the prince UGHHH

The book of life - is it cliche? Yes. Is it like coco? Yes. Do I like that in the end, the main boy has to sing a guitar version of creep to calm down a bull? Absolutely yes!

Epic - josh hutcherson, beyonce, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny knoxville, an enemies to lovers storyline, a snail, a royal guard having a love for the queen, the enemies being bugs, and ANDD a nerdy dad. That's it.

Rise of the guardians - I absolutely love it followed jack and his arc of being seen and when he finally is, the kid and him are just so excited! Also, the fact that a lot of people are simping for the Easter bunny is a testament to how many people will call anyone sexy.

Daniel spellbound - wanted to add this because there's an awesome creator ( cough cough @bonkalore) who's made an amazing au out of this show and I wanted to see what you thought of it and your theories

Bonus options ( just random one's I think could fit): the rainbow fairies series, Lego friends, the complicated life of Claudia Christina Cortez, sonic underground, drama or sisters ( but any book by rainia would be great), Junie b Jones, stoked, barney, goddess girls, glitter force ( that's what I remember it as), invisible sister, a monster in Paris, Maya and miguel, and Martha)

If you want anymore, let me know!

[ninacytosis]

For the time lost

Summary: Zuko wants to erase every reminder of his past mistakes, and Katara will take him on a journey to, quite literally, heal both of their scarrings.

Contains: Angst, Fluff, Katara has burns scars from Aang's first attempts to firebend, Katara tries to get over her resentment towards the FN, Zuko doesn't hate Azula.

Dear reader: I hope you enjoy it! <3 Let me know if you want me to continue posting.

Find chapter one here.

Find chapter two here.

┊┊┊┊☆┊*🌙*┊☆┊┊┊┊

Chapter Three

To Katara’s surprise, his scar looked pretty much the same as before. After greeting her, she got a look up close and searched for a different color, texture, or size. Maybe it was smoother? Her thoughts kept meditating on this new information while she followed Zuko through the palace.

Zuko stopped walking and turned to her. “You're so quiet today... Not complaining, though" he smirked.

The place was a bit different from the last time Katara visited. The walls, once filled with portraits of the former Fire Lords, were left with paintings of birds and rodents; some pieces were pale and ill-looking, and, to her surprise, others were unbelievably adorable. Every part of the palace seemed to be made with such delicacy, it made her wonder how much respect people had for the royals. The marble floor felt like floating through the hallways.

“How old is this place?” she asked Zuko.

“Maybe two hundred years old” he replied, with a doubtful tone. “But every now and then it got redecorated. My mom was really into gardening, so there were a lot of floral decorations until I was like twelve.”

“I guess you’re into hawkpards” she smiled. “I’ve seen like five paintings of them so far”.

“Oh, yeah… We got a lot of those in the back garden. Oh, I got to show you the turtleducks in the front!” He grabbed her shoulder. “They’ve grown so much since you last came”.

They both rushed to an open space in between the castle. It wasn’t a front garden technically, but Katara didn’t want to ruin the moment. He was so excited to take her there. And the turtleducks were beautifully bathed in the golden sparks of the setting sun.

“The little ones were born by the end of autumn”.

Her eyes followed the furry little guys as they approached Zuko’s feet. He seemed annoyed, yet patient, while their little peaks pinched his pants. He proceeded to sit down and surrender to the attack. Now the turtleducks looked at him expectantly, Katara guessed that they were pet recurrently by him.

“No treat today,” he said, in a high-pitched voice. “But we got visits. Greet Katara!”

She chuckled. Zuko’s silliness always got to her, she could tell he was comfortable if she paid attention and saw through all his awkwardness. The water that had golden sparkles some minutes ago, was now in a purplish tone, the sky was getting darker. Two guards walked in their direction with small lamps in their hands. She imagined they lit them up themselves. How cool that must be.

“The visitor’s room is ready, my Lord” one pointed out.

Katara guessed both the guards were about thirty. By the looks they gave to her, she guessed they still weren’t used to having waterbenders around. To even see them as allies. She tried to convince herself some progress had been made. Some years ago, it was hard to tell if the Fire Nation guards saw her as human. Now they’re just weirded out, she can’t really blame them. She’s feeling odd herself, trying to turn off her flight or fight mode. Trying to hold eye contact with them, because she doesn’t want to seem snobby. Trying to look at Zuko, to remember nothing bad will happen. Weirdness is progress. Weirdness is not cruelty.

“I’ll take her, thanks for letting me know” he replied. “You can go now”

With a small flame in his hand, he led her to one of the upper floors. It was a pretty place, but it felt so empty. All she could hear were their steps and the whispers of the guards. Probably they talked all night to avoid getting asleep.

"My Lord" she tittered.

"Oh, shut up" he sighed. "I can still hear Toph laughing about it."

They arrived at her room. Katara noticed a penguin plushie on her mattress. She turned to Zuko and scrunched her face. After seeing her funny covers and blue walls, she realized what he was trying to do.

“I thought it would feel more like home” Zuko whispered. “Is it too corny?”

“I love it” she giggled.

“Come here” he asked her. Katara walked to the window and saw the moon rising from mountains.

“Now, that’s too corny” she mocked. “Thank you, I feel like I’m royalty too”.

“Well, technically you are a royal of the Southern Water tribe” he squeezed his eyes.

She rolled her eyes. If she was a princess, her “castle” was a giant whale skeleton. But she couldn’t complain, it felt more sacred than most homes. And it showed her people’s historical resilience, something that would transcend centuries more than her desire for a fancier house. For a second, she feared she spent too much time in her mind and ignored Zuko’s presence.

“We’re such a diplomatic friendship” she whispered. Zuko laughed, still looking through the window.

“You know, back at the garden, I noticed you were a bit shaky” he admitted. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure” she nodded.

“Do you find it scary to come here?”

“Of course not” is what she would’ve answered to most people. Four springs have passed since the war, and even in the war, she wasn’t the type of person to hide from Fire Nation guards. It would be unlike her to fear a threat that it’s not even there. And as much as it didn’t make sense to her or anyone else, she felt her heart race when a guard looked at her for a little too long, she lost her breath when a firework sounded a little too loud. She was afraid.

“I… think so, Zuko” she answered. “Sorry if it sounds ungrateful, I don’t mean to show prejudice towards your people. I bet your guards are highly honorable and your friends here are nice. But it’s hard to see these walls and walk through this city without getting a bit sappy, you know?” she sat on the floor. “I think that’s why I usually don’t come here often”.

“I know what you mean. Well, that’s one of the reasons it’s so hard for me to go to the South” She leaned her head. “I’m ashamed, for my nation, my ancestors’ actions, and my own. I see all the empty houses and the little kids in your town and it makes me feel so unworthy of being a king.”

He covered his face with his hands and sat next to her, both on the cold wooden planks. Katara caressed his hair, gently, not really sure how to say what she thought of Zuko. At least, she didn’t know how to deliver it in a way that convinced him that he was a good person. A compassionate, caring, noble person. She put her head on his shoulder.

“You are not your father, Zuko” she mumbled. “And the Water Nation’s door will always be open for you. Not only on the North, by the way”.

“About that… I know all these traveling to the North might seem weird to you”.

“You’re Zuko, you’re always weird” she bumped his arm.

He disapprovingly shook his head.

“Anyways, I thought I should tell you I went there to get rid of my scar” Zuko stood up. “I’m so tired, you probably are too. I’m going to my room.”

“So you’re just gonna drop that bomb and leave?” Katara raised her eyebrow.

“We can talk tomorrow. I promise” he walked to the door. “Good night, Katara.”

[hello-nichya-here]

Did these two new episodes finally change your mind about Team Black or do you still think Aegon is a usurper?

1 - Once again, Rhaenyra could have been the worst person who has ever lived and the entire series based on Saint Aegon fighting for the throne for the good of the people, it'd STILL make him an usurper. The king named her heir and everyone swore to her. We literally see the greens plotting to dethrone her long before Viserys supposedly told Alicent he "changed his mind", and Otto, Aemond and even Aegon himself have said they don't believe Viserys ever stopped supporting Rhaenyra. It doesn't matter if I, you, or anyone else thinks they're justified in stealing her throne, that is still what it is: stealing it.

2 - Fuck off with that "finally." Disagreeing with my interpretation is one thing, being all condescendent about it is another. I like the Greens as characters even if I'm not rooting for them, but bullshit like this is why I cannot stand most of the fans. You guys are entitled as fuck.

3 - What exactly was I supposed to see in these episodes that would make me hate Team Black? Daemon being reckless, impulsive and violent in pursue of glory/proof his misguided loyalty, and thus undermining (accidentally and intentionally) the ruler he supports and cares for in his own fucked up way? I saw that in episode one when he was maiming and killing people for crimes he HEARD they commited, without checking, knowing damn well Viserys, aka his brother and King, would not approve of it.

Rhaenyra being morally dubious, and potentialy putting herself in danger by keeping that guy around? Again, I've seen that from the start of the show. Corlys and Rhaenys being more allied to them for convenience because they'll put themselves first instead of any king/queen, even one they respect? Once again, stablished early on in the previous season.

The only new informations I got were about the GREENS.

Aemond clearly having some Mommy Issues that he indulges in with his lover/whore (probably because we canonically saw that his mom is the kind to turn around and go fuck a guard after seeing her son crying because his baby boy was murdered). Aegon showing some hints of compassion/love for other people. Alicent and Cole being even MORE hypocritical than they were before (which is saying a lot).

And, of course, Otto Hightower hearing that his great-grandson was murdered in quite a brutal, cowardly way, and reacting to the news by saying they'll blame Rhaenyra for it anyway, even if they discover she was not behind it - and he'll do it by PARADING THE CHILD'S CORPSE AROUND, with the (clearly neurodivergent/mentally unwell) mother and grandmother weeping. Even though this a disgusting thing to do and, like Aegon himself said, basically dragging this murdered child through the mud like a dog. Even though this is exploting and adding to the pain of his family, that he pretends to care about.

I gotta say, I knew this guy was a piece of shit since he sold his own daughter to a creepy old man, but DAMN, I did not see that one coming. It did make Aegon firing him from being Hand of The King all the more satisfying though, even if I know this will backfire on him.

[divinequo]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I WATCHED THE SEASON 2 EPISODE 6 TRAILER AND IM SO FUCKING PSYCHED I HAVE YO RANT ONG OMG OMG OMG OMG IT LOOS INCREDIBLE

⁉️⁉️‼️‼️‼️WARNING THIS HAS SPOILERS PLUS SCREENSHOTS FROM THE TRAILER SO LIKE UH SCROLL AND GO AWAY IF YOU WANNA REMAIN UNSPOILED YES YES MM MM YES⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

OK FIRST OFF HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

I GOTTA RANT ABOUT THIS FIRST SINCE IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE THE LONGEST BUT WE HAVE BEEN THEORIZING ABOUT THIS GUY FOR YEARS.

YEAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRSSSSS!!! AND NOW ITS BEEN CONFIRMED HE'S SOME SORT OF ANTAGONIST IT LOOKS LIKE? WHICH HOLY SHIT OMG IM SO SIKED I LOVE HIM ALREADY HES THE BEST VILLAIN EVER ONG (I know the episode isn't even out yet let alone a English version but let me be delusional I'm happy and excited) but anyway AAAAAH HE LOOKS SO ORDINARY YET SO MENACING???!? from blending in with the background characters in episodes and appearing to be spying on Dee in his qna, as well as his wanted posters, we will FINALLY GET SOME SORT OF INFORMATION AND CHARACTER INTRODUCTION!!! (May I add he strikes a strange resemblance to Gustav? No? Just my opinion? Ok) OMG AND I JUST REALIZED HIM FLIPPING THE KEYS?? WAIT WAIT HEAVY SAID TO VICTORIA IN SEASON ONE HIW HE LOST HIS KEYS AGAIN, AND THATS ABSOLUTELY THEIR HOUSE KEYS YOU CANT CONVINCE ME OTHER WISE, IT LITERALLY COMES FULL CIRCLE, NOT MENTION LIKE, BRO WHY DOES HE WANT THEM TO NOT GO HOME? DOES HE WANT THEM AWAY FROM THEIR PARENTS? IS HE FORCING THEM TO TALK TO HIM? OR DID THEY FIND HIM AND NOW HES MONOLUAGING???? OMFG IDK, ONE THINGS FOR SURE IS HE IS DOING SOMETHING NEFARIOUS TO THIS ABANDONED AMUSEMENT PARK, TBATS WHY HES ON THE WANTED POSTERS INNLIFS INTRODUCTIONNEPISODE HOLYYY FUUUUCKKKKK GUYS I LOVE HIM, HES MY NEW FAVORITE VILLAIN, I really hope this doesn't age like milk me saying I love his little character *sweats nervously*

And can we just TALK and take a moment to ADMIRE the artwork of the backgrounds and main surrounding pieces?? LOOK AT THIS!!

And yk the metal families profile picture on YouTube? Yk... The clunky old sign no one cares about?

FUCKING LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK

IT WAS PLANNED ALL ALONG GGGG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGGGGEXDCRFVFY UGC YFDXYREXYRDXTDDXTD STD FDFH THEIR PROFILE PICTURE IS LITERALLY, GENUINELY FROM THIS EPISODE, it is NOT coincidental, THIS MADE ME LOVE IT ALL THE MORE!! it feels so special now knowing this knowledge and though this part isn't THAT important i still had to mention the shock I got from seeing it in the trailer :))

Last thing I wanted to mention is these two lovely little gumdrops!!!!!!!

ommmgggg THE SHIPPING BAIT ABOUT TO HIT HAAARRRDDD i paused on like a smear frame, basically their hiding from the security guard because it's night time and they snuck in!! Omggg do you guys even realize what this MEANS????!!!!?!?!?! this means we'll also get maybe a few scenes if our and Dee together ALONE, idk what is up with my brain but I never really shipped them that much or cared to ship for them until seeing THIS, maybe I'm just really pathetic in my own love life but the way lif is holding onto Dee (for protection and to hide yk) is SENDING me, it is cute, so special and precious, and I need them to start dating, I am officially their number one shipper now (omfg if they become canon in this I will cry myself to sleep istg I'll be so happy knowing I can rest over these cartoon lovers getting together XP)

Oh oh and what do y'all think heavy could be doing while we get some life and Dee scenes? Or while this scene specifically is happening?? My guess is they caught sight of the "glasses kid" and heavy volunteered to go follow after him in suspicion, omg I can't even fathom getting so much new heavy screen time, he's only my all time favorite character, aaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

That's pretty much it, I give my upmost respect and admiration to DiMA, Alina, and every single voice actor, artist, animator, inspirations, etc of this entire show, they all deserve the world and a medal for giving us this spectacular series, that upon now seeing this trailer has made my metal family hyperfixation AWOKE deeply and fiercely

I couldn't find a truly perfect reaction image to seeing this new metal family trailer, so here's this one I drew, have a lovely day/night everyone♡

[kawarikisaki]

I think it’s 1. Hakuba is just like that and doesn’t know Conan is actually a teenager in the body of a child.

Yes actually! I agree. I put out three different options before just because I was rambling and trying to play devil's advocate with myself a bit, but I do actually think that Hakuba doesn't know Conan is actually a teen.

And now I'm gonna ramble some more to explain why I think that way, because I love Hakuba and I'm just gonna hyperfixate anyway so may as well type it all out.

So to start with, he doesn't know Conan is a shrunken teen, and that has nothing to do with his skill as a detective, the evidence just isn't in front of him. Hakuba doesn't know enough about Shinichi to start putting things together; even Hattori at least had met Shinichi once and had some circumstantial evidence before he started to get suspicious. Hakuba also doesn't have reason to believe that people can be de-aged, actually if anything his experience with Kid has reinforced in his mind that a teen or adult would not be able to pass as a child. Without having one of those angles to approach from it's hard to make the leap of logic required to recognize that Conan isn't just a smart 6 year old.

With that in mind if you look at his first appearance in Detective Conan (The Gathering of Great Detectives), he actually doesn't question or concern himself with Conan's presence from the start. Even Hattori (and yes, I'm going to keep using Hattori as a comparison here) had tried to keep Conan away from crime scenes and such at first, but Hakuba doesn't do that, and granted no one else in the Gathering of Great Detective's really does either. Hakuba sees this person that he believes to be an innocent child in what is clearly a trap for this group of detectives set by using Kid's name - and Hakuba knows it's a trap, this isn't Kid's style after all- so what does he do? He follows the child's plan. Because it's a good plan and the only grievance he has with it is that he'll have to get fake blood on his clothes.

He doesn't belittle Conan for his perceived age. He doesn't worry about him being traumatized despite expressing that he was glad Ran had been put to sleep so she didn't have to witness the cruelty of the plan. He doesn't question Conan's right to be there. And he doesn't try to protect Conan at all.

And if you were to ask me why that is...

I think there are actually a number of different factors behind it, but the most important one is that by the time we see Hakuba in Detective Conan Conan this 'child' has already shown himself capable of dealing with Kid. Sure, Conan didn't arrest Kid, but neither can anyone else, and list of people that can claim to have been able to stop Kid from stealing an item is relatively small, and without knowing Conan on a personal level Hakuba can understand that level of competence. He can respect him as a professional, and not look down on him aside from in the literal sense. Though, it probably also helps that in the two times Hakuba has seen Conan he wasn't doing the 'ah-le-le I'm just a dumb little kid' routine. Both times he actually showed his real intelligence, thought still a bit of a tree hidden in a forest of other detectives.

Well that's probably enough of that for now. TL;DR: Hakuba doesn't know Conan is a teen, but he respects him anyway because he'd respect anyone that could catch Kaito off guard.

[gloriousmonsters]

@whittertwitter the key to happy relationships is to find two people roughly as morally bankrupt and mentally ill as you (and, most importantly, as hot as you) and enable/check each other's issues to the extent where you all function remarkably well, considering how all your other relationships went! Agreed on the rough timeline thing, her dying in the 00s sounds right for sure (assuming that the show starts around where the pilot was released, that gives her a bit of time in Hell but still makes her obnoxiously new on the scene compared to other Overlords).

That said, a summation of Vox and Val's daddy issues (cw for abuse, suicide mentioned)

Vox:

I still need to flesh out details/timeline of Vox's childhood, but I know that his dad was distant to the point of seeming to forget about his existence, sarcastic and emotionally cruel--primarily to Vox's mother, but the kid would occasionally come in for some--when he did remember he lived with other people, and was overall just an. intensely negative person, like sucks-all-the-energy-out-of-a-room vibes. (vox's mom was also emotionally neglectful and uncaring, but not ''''abusive-abusive''', if you get my point). He then proceeded to have an 'accident while cleaning a gun' when Vox was a young teenager, which Vox overheard his mother talking about the truth of--that it was suicide--with a friend. probably with a side helping of 'i can't believe he would be so weak/do something that shameful'.

I think his mother probably remarried very quickly, and Vox developed some auxiliary issues around not being able to become Man of the House when he was like, fourteen (although he would have hated it, he and his mom just did not like each other lol). But his relationship with the new guy was more just teeth-gritted tolerance, helping Vox build up his fake-ass geniality--his dad left him with some of the deep shit. Always be on guard, always control what you can. Power is cruel--and it might make people hate you, so hide it behind a smile, but even so it's better to be hated than weak. Being ignored is starvation, being judged and found wanting is a gut wound.

this mainly manifests in the intense desire to be needed and appreciated and affirmed in image whilst having behavioral patterns that mean only people who don't know you will like you

also there's just like, the bigotry and sexism he soaked up, but that's on his surrounding environment as much as his dad

Valentino (his mom is also heavily involved in Issues, so this is partly about her)

extremely physically and verbally abusive father, solely focused on his mother when Val was very young, but turning to include Val the moment he got old enough you could look at him and go 'something vaguely queer about this kid' + he could be judged as not being sufficiently cowed and respectful, which only got worse over time bc Val could not avoid making him angry and so usually gave up on even trying

his mother only managed to get away when Val was around 13, partly spurred to desperation by his father injuring him badly enough she was terrified Val might actually get killed if she stayed any longer (said event caused a concussion that left Val with vision/memory problems and headaches his entire life)

due to things getting that bad and the health issues that were clearly left over from it, his mom was intensely guilty for not being able to protect him/get out sooner, and compensated by investing herself completely in him; babying him physically and emotionally, never setting proper boundaries, taking his side in literally everything, etc etc. this lasted until she finally hit a limit and tried to point out he had anger issues (Kind Of Like Someone We Knew) when he was in his mid-20s

output: mother is cruel? mother is unyielding? i must leave for California i can no longer thrive in this environment

but seriously, anger issues + downplaying of said issues because he's not like his dad, he gets angry for legitimate reasons, and he can be so nice! all he wants is unconditional love, loyalty and commitment that doesn't waver or END like SOME PEOPLE who are apparently just waiting to ABANDON YOU

[regaliasonata]

Ranger Headcanons Batch

-Marah and Dustin, after settling out their differences, have become rather good friends. Mainly like two braincells forming together in unison. She kinda likes to play dress up with him and with attending the academy invites him with Kapri to sleepovers.

-Marah loves Doja Cat, though Cameron had to take away her speakers when she kept blaring music in the Watanabe Estate. She gets music from Conner who in turn gets it from SPD so she has access to future artists.

-The Wild Force zords and animal spirits in JF are the same but have variations. The animarium used to be affiliated with Pai Zhua but split off, WF focuses on sharing wild force powers through their crystals as outside sources while JF utilizes animal spirit powers from the inside.

-Some dimensions share a universal counterpart, Shelby and Scott are counterparts along with their fathers. This may also count with other characters such as Mack and Venjix or Kendall and Dr. K.

-A lot of the older red rangers from MMPR to Time Force do not like the newer reds. For many reasons...One they aren't exactly keen on being respectful just because of bragging rights, Hunter is hated the most by some of them for good reason due to Jason trying to impede on personal business the Bradley's had with their parent's old enemies and the red ranger came back with electric burns on his body. Two the amount of gimmicks and forms kinda show up the older reds, Jayden and Casey jumped Tommy during a forced sparring match. And finally three, Tyler doesn't know who they are and for all we know there could've been different teams in his universe so who the hell is Jason Lee Scott?

-Hunter does actually like TJ, Eric and Andros, Cole is nice but he doesn't like him cause Dustin's got eyes for the fellow lion ranger...it's on sight if Jason comes to Blue Bay Harbor.

-Taylor and Jen despise SPD, Syd and Z's treatment being the reason.

-The first yellow ranger meeting happened during Ninja Storm and Dustin literally became the marshmallow of the group.

-Some teams that are more secluded have reasons mainly due to feeling indifferent about zordon or the increase of mmpr rangers trying to come in a fix everything when they aren't needed.

-while Mystic Force may the the strongest team due to their magic, raw power wise that category goes clearly to Ninja Storm with their non ranger elemental powers and training...if anything if lothor kept them as evil then I feel like it would've been even harder to change them back than in the DT crossover. Jungle Fury might be abel to take care of them if they are lucky.

-Rangers, specifically those with civilian powers, are banned from the Olympics. Or at least until there's a division crested specifically for them.

-The Morphin Grid has a spiral of collective unconscious with ideas, hence why Tarrick and Leanbow share a dort of similarity. The idea is that there might've been some magical aspects on Rafkon giving Tarrick the same appearance armor wise or a dimension where Leanbow was his counterpart.

-Necrolai and RJ had a feud during the Twilight era of media...Vida and Casey were hyping both sides up(mainly supporting their respective partners🩷🖤❤️💜). Luckily this wasn't about the movie and more on which were better, werewolves or vampires.

-Hunter and Blake's willingness to kill Kanoi wasn't by circumstance. They really were down to murder if needed, the Thunder Academy had some rather different ways of training but from being fueled by losing their parents if anything was to happen to the other sibling then it would be lights out for their enemies.

-During the Cosmic Fury invasion the Mystif Force team didn't lose against Zedd but only got caught off guard. He needed a backup plan because he knew he wasn't strong enough to beat them, they roasted the shit out of him from the ranger prisons.

-Majority of the rangers aren't straight.

[lol-jackles]

One Piece review

Stories in One Piece stories are zany, but it works because it is classically told, with a focus on character, a journey together, the various characters' flaws getting them in trouble, triumph over hardship, and the camaraderie between crew members.  It's also just a really wholesome, fun show in an era of entertainment that's teaming with forced messaging and just dismal dystopia views and so on.   The One Piece offers a a nice change of pace from all of the grimdark medieval-fantasy shows and repetitive, formulaic superhero adaptations.   Simply put, the show was made on the on the foundation of joy.

The world building was great. It gives you the scope and scale. I just love how snails are inexplicably used for communication for everything without explanation.  It just is, so just go with it.

The fight scenes were cartoonish and you can see everybody doing fights and that's why it's great. None of that stupid multiple cutaways.

The casting was top notch. Both main character and side characters were distinctive and with believable emotional motivation. Every. Single. Actor. commits to their character, making them believable and far deeper than I expected.

Like the show, Luffy is a risk taker, smart, dumb, and brave. Luffy is relentlessly upbeat about everything most of the time, but he also gets to be angry and sad. When he shows those feelings it lets you know his character more. The acting choice really worked with this character, and hence made the whole show work.

Luffy is the personification of freedom, hence why he wants to be a pirate.  But every pirate the adult Luffy runs into are bad: destroying towns and killing or taking slaves (Alvida) or literal captive audiences for their ego (Buggy) or forced to pay back breaking tribute to them (Arlong).    These pirates may have started out like Luffy, embracing adventure and freedom, but after 20 years of not achieving their dreams and leaving them with crushed egos, they become cruel and subjugate others just to prove the illusion of strength and power.  They are just as obsessed with how they are perceived as today’s youths on Instagram.  The first pirate we meet through adult Luffy was Alvida, she learned from a captive that she’s not even on the pirate bounty hunter's list and killed the captive out of petty wounded ego.  Buggy the clown pirate rants about not having a spotlight and Arlong gives one to many pity parties over humans not respecting his species.

In contrast, Luffy doesn’t care how others see him as, letting others choose to see him as a villain or hero. He doesn't do what he does to be seen as good but because he wants.  He frees Kobe from Alivida and due to his enslavement from pirates, it’s understandable that Kobe has a rather dim views of them and he joins the Marines to protect people from pirates.  But similar to Luffy’s experience, Kobe learns that some Marines are corrupt and make deals with some pirates to either line their own pockets or to maintain the Old Guard.  But just like Luffy, Kobe does not allow the challenges to his world view to deter him from his dreams of becoming a good Marine and reform the institution, just like Luffy wants to restore piracy to their glory days of adventuring.

I liked how it was pointed out that the pirate’s personal freedom and the bounty of their heads turned it into a literal “price of  freedom”.   The more they exercise their freedom as pirate, the more they must shoulder results of their actions.   Some pirates embraced it, others found it suffocating as they can’t let down their guard and even kill their own crewmen out of paranoia. 

Despite Kobe’s low key persona, he probably has the strongest will out of all the characters.  The show does a good job showing the paradox of two friends who have completely opposite and colliding dreams (one a pirate and the other a marine) yet they still choose to act with integrity with one another.

The show gives a lot respect to parental figures. Every character has a background that can be traced to important people who imparted them with good morals, which lead them to what they are today. Even when they disagree or clash, both parties can see eye to eye and no one is portrayed as an asshole or antiquated just because they are not hip with the kids.  The relationship between Zeff and Sanji was especially emotional, that good bye was an honest manly tear jerker.

Nami has the quiet intensity that has one of the best backstory. She was strong without being a girl boss, and she was allowed to break down and be vulnerable. The boys were allowed to protect and help her, and it drew them closer as a crew.  Sure, Luffy has the strength and heart, and Zorro has the strength, skills and loyalty, and Sanji has fight skills that rivals his cooking skills, but Nami is possibly the smartest one of the lot of them.  It just occurred to me Strawhats literally can't function without her because no one else seems to know how to navigate the sea.

The music was freaking excellent and did a terrific job at capturing the spirit of adventure, which is key to One Piece's story. It felt like goofier and more playful Pirates of the Caribbean, and it reminded me how much fun the OG was.

Conclusion:  One Piece's first season is full of heart, optimism, excitement, and charm.  Villains are clearly defined and heroes strive to do what's right.   I enjoyed the earnest campiness equally with the earnest wholesome vibe.  Sure there where some dark as hell moments, but it never lets that fee like the point.  Luffy is a golden hearted character that believes I the best in the world around him, and the show unabashedly puts that on display without feeling the need to cynically tear it down.  I feel feel that a lot of modern media is most scared to be that sincere in its optimism, like people won’t take it seriously if the story isn’t cynical and cruel.  The genius of the One Piece is it gets people to take the story seriously in spite of the pure zaniness because it feels like old fashioned escapist storytelling Hollywood used to be capable of producing. Characters are layered and worth caring for. The core idea of following your dreams and encouraging the dreams of those around you merely uses pirate fantasy as its delivery system.

[grandwretch]

chapter 14 of once bitten, twice shy  xiv. heaven’s on fire 

read it here on ao3

"Tina's having a party Saturday night," Steve said. Eddie didn't answer, but it was a comfortable silence. A long exhale crackled through the phone, and Steve imagined smoke curling across Eddie's features and smiled. "Most of the old guard are gonna be there before they all head back to school for the fall. I know it's not really your scene, but we've hit almost every other Hawkins party this summer, and–"

"I don't mind going," Eddie said, and Steve sighed, grateful for the interruption. "I'm surprised you want to, though."

"Is there a party Steve Harrington doesn't want to go to?"

"Yeah, okay," Eddie snorted, showing about as much respect for Steve's reputation as he would Duran Duran– a reputation he wholeheartedly believed mere months ago. "You know what I mean, though, baby doll. You can't stand those people. I literally watched you jump into a pool so you didn't have to talk to Fischer in July."

Steve squirmed. The warmth of Eddie's concern and his own distaste for introspection mixed in his chest, making him restless. He fell back against his pillows, staring up at the smooth, perfect ceiling. He wished it were the popcorned chaos of Eddie's; These things were always easier to say when Eddie was holding his hand.

"I miss going out with you," Steve said, first, because it was the easiest to admit. "We haven't been anywhere but the diner since the club."

Eddie hummed. "Lotsa places to be other than Tina's place, with whole grades' worth of people you can't stand."

"I know," Steve said, because no one knew more than him how confusing his brain could be. "It's– I didn't really like parties before you, you know? They were too loud and crowded, but they were part of the job."

"The job," Eddie huffed, laughing the quiet way he did whenever talking about being 'King' like it was something he could put on a resume.

"Shut up, like you were any better, skulking around in the shadows outside."

"I was selling drugs, Stevie. For money. You know, like a real job?"

"You could sell drugs indoors, Munson, you're just dramatic," Steve said for the 500th time. Eddie's dismissive sniff told Steve he could go back to making his original point, now. Rolling his eyes with a grin, he continued, "Anyway, asshole, like I was saying before you interrupted me, the power of your love cured me of my hatred for loud bass and shitty alcohol."

Eddie's giggle was a thing of beauty, even over the Munsons' shitty receiver.

"I like people seeing us together," Steve confessed. "It makes us feel real."

"It is real," Eddie said, all warmth and sweetness.

"I know. And I know we can't tell people, but I still– I want them to see us. Them, specifically. That's all I've ever wanted."

To be seen with someone who owned him, someone who belonged to him. To feel safe and real and alive, with someone he loved to cover his back. To regain a little of what being King of the Hill had felt like, without the blood on his hands.

"Well shit," Eddie sighed. "My boyfriend wants to show me off to his high school buddies. How am I supposed to say no to that?"

They would have to go as 'friends' of course, but even showing up with Eddie Munson as a 'close friend' was enough of a declaration to send shivers down Steve's spine.

Tina's house wasn't far from Steve's, so they walked. Neither of them felt like getting drunk surrounded by assholes, but this way they could leave whenever without worrying about being boxed in by some rich asshole whose car cost more than his tuition.

Eddie's words, not Steve's.

Enough of that Harrington respectability had hung around to make Steve scoff at the idea of rocking up to a party on foot, but when they finally stepped through the threshold of Tina's childhood home, he was incredibly grateful for the escape plan. Steve had expected people's eyes on them, had asked for it, even, but he hadn't expected their gazes to stick so well. From the moment they arrived, they were the center of attention, but not... not in the way that Steve was used to. Not even in the way they had been this summer, an oddity of thought, something novel to have around the party to liven things up a little. No, these were people who knew Steve better than he wanted but not half as much as they should, and their intent felt like grime on his skin.

He was already regretting asking Eddie to take him here. It would have been infinitely better to spend the night curled in Eddie's arms on the couch, watching some stupid movie he didn't have a chance at understanding. At least there, they could touch without it raising someone's eyebrows.

"You good, Harrington?" Eddie asked, and dared to clasp a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"Yeah," Steve said, and glanced around a living room that played a leading role in most of his nightmares. "Let's get this over with."

Eddie was kind enough not to say, 'I told you so'.

A few people said hello as they made their way into the thick of the party. No one who Steve had been particularly close to, really-- Mostly people who had been freshmen Steve's senior year, or former second strings who never really got up close and personal with King Steve. He didn't know if it was because of his previous reputation or his current one that kept his old cronies away, but whatever it was, Steve was grateful for it.

The last time he had been here, he had been on the precipice of his own decline. He had met Billy here, Steve remembered with a start-- He had become so used to remembering Hargrove in conjunction with the old Byers house and the mall that he'd almost forgotten. It had been planned, Steve thought, now. Tommy and Billy had wanted to catch him off guard, introduce him to his own replacement somewhere he wouldn't be in control, although he doubted either one of them had been smart enough to notice just how out of control Steve had been that night.

He wasn't in control now, either, Steve thought with a wry look Eddie's way. Whatever little social capital they had in this moment was all in Eddie's hands. Sure, Eddie liked to tease him for still being the preppy jock archetype, but Steve had all but fallen off the social map before their whirlwind summer. Eddie had a charge or two under his belt now, yeah, but amongst the right people that never mattered. Being a violent shithead had never ousted anyone before, and it certainly wouldn't be enough to completely exile the one guy in town who still knew where to get the good stuff.

Steve knew his classmates very well. They might have their quibbles with Eddie's verdict, might even be ready to kill him again Monday morning, but when they wanted to get high, all those 'ideals' fell away.

After Eddie waved the fourth potential customer away, citing a night off, Steve grinned. As annoyed as Eddie looked right now, being the tag-along was much preferrable to the fucked up psuedo-political machinations he would have been subjected to in high school. No one was approaching them to curry favor, or try to jockey for position. They just wanted to get loaded. Blessedly simple.

"I know you have a joint in your pocket," Steve said, throwing what he hoped was a casual arm around Eddie's shoulders. "You don't wanna make a quick buck? Take your girl out somewhere nice?"

Eddie shot Steve an unimpressed look. "My girl owes me a quick buck or two, actually, leaving me with you all night."

Steve shrugged. "She'll make it up to you."

With a hum, Eddie said, "If she knows what's good for her," and Steve couldn't suppress the shiver that trailed along his spine.

It was almost fun, flirting in secret in a room full of people. Sure, it was wildly dangerous, and Steve was sweating so hard he could already feel his shirt sticking to his skin, but Steve had long since stopped having a normal reaction to 'danger'. Besides, they were tucked away against the staircase, loud music neither of them enjoyed drowning out their conversation. No one would look twice at two assholes who peaked in high school talking trash about some girl. It made Steve feel skeevy and dirty, but he couldn't hide the giddy grin as his stomach swooped when Eddie looked at him, heavy and knowing.

"You gonna ask me to dance or what, Munson?" Steve said, instead of kissing him.

Before Eddie could answer a voice rang across the room, calling Eddie's name.

Steve could feel his body snap to attention, every muscle going tight with adrenaline. Even before he could pinpoint the direction the voice was coming from, he could feel his body shift into fight. He didn't like people just walking up to Eddie, not after the months of harassment and all the work it had taken just to get Eddie through the rest of the semester alive. The anxiety had faded with time, after a summer of simplicity, but with one unfamiliar voice wrapped around Eddie's name, it was back.

Eddie's hand wrapped around Steve's wrist, stilling him, as Steve's gaze settled on the person approaching them. He had missed her in the crowd at first, expecting the tall, imposing figure of one of Jason's erstwhile rivals-- She was the opposite, small and petite, though... Well, Steve thought, glancing down at her leather fingerless gloves and boots the size of his head, perhaps no less imposing for it.

Though she had called Eddie's name, her eyes were on Steve, and they didn't seem impressed. He recognized her from somewhere, he thought, but he couldn't remember from where, and in Steve's experience, that usually wasn't a great sign for his chances at making a friend. It had worked maybe once, with Robin, and it had taken a shit load of Russians and almost dying to make that happen. Every other time had gone to shit very quickly, with the other person pulling out a dozen offenses that Steve couldn't even remember-- Which was the entire problem.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Munson," she said, though her eyes still were locked on Steve-- Specifically his clothes, Steve noted. He frowned down at the pale blue polo. He knew it wasn't exactly cool, but Eddie had said it made his skin look nice.

Eddie had actually said it made his skin look "like buttery silk touched gently by the sun," but that was embarrassing even in Steve's own head.

"Beverley Hanlon," Eddie said, and Steve's frown deepened at the sheer affection in his voice. Eddie was allowed to have friends, he told himself sternly, even very pretty ones you've never met before. "Aren't you supposed to be in Boston somewhere?"

"They let me out for good behavior," Beverley joked. At least, Steve thought she was joking. Probably. Tina didn't seem the kind to let a convicted criminal into her house... without Steve smuggling them in. "I was visiting home for the summer and Paul dragged me here. Said it would be good to catch up with old friends. I told him none of my old friends would be caught dead in this place, but here you are."

"Here I am," Eddie said with a lazy grin. "Stevie, this is Beverly-- One of the founding members of the Hellfire Club. Bev, this is Steve."

The unimpressed gaze made its way back to Steve. "We've met," Bev said flatly.

"Yup," Steve said, entirely unlike a man who remembered that happening. "You were... the grade ahead of me, right? Ed's class."

"Yup," she repeated, popping the 'p' mockingly. "Front row seat to an entire three years of the Steve Harrington experience."

"Right," Steve said, his stomach twisting. "It was good seeing you again. Um, Ed, I'm gonna-- Do you want a drink? I'm gonna get a drink."

Eddie's frown made the pain hit just a little deeper, and the concern in his eyes did nothing to balm it. The last thing Steve wanted was to make a scene in front of one of Eddie's friends, especially one who already hated him, but Eddie was too good to just let it lie. His voice dipped into a whisper, hand tightening around Steve's wrist. "Baby..."

Part of Steve wanted to give in, wanted to be soothed, but a larger part of him felt even worse for it. It felt overwhelming, suddenly, to have Eddie call for him so gently. Beverley's presence made it worse, her judgment a physical thing on his skin, and it hurt to be loved and know she didn't think he deserved it. He couldn't take it, and he didn't want to explain it. More than that, he didn't want to ruin Eddie's opportunity to reconnect with a friend. God knew he needed more of them, needed more than Steve could give to him.

"I'm gonna get a drink," Steve repeated, pulling his wrist from Eddie's grip.

The route to Tina's kitchen was almost muscle memory. It had been years since he'd shown up to one of these, but before the fall of King Steve, they had been an often enough affair that Tina's house was as familiar to him as Tommy's or Carol's. Her parents' hadn't changed much over the years, the same decor like landmarks on the walls. Steve took a turn by the overlarge cuckoo clock, the one he'd almost smashed with a bottle sophomore year, slipped through the doorway in the green wall, and--

Oh.

Tommy Hagan stood in the kitchen, staring down at a plastic cup on the counter in front of him. Steve hesitated just long enough for Tommy to look up, their eyes meeting across the room.

In an instant, Steve was in the last moment he'd seen Tommy, standing sore and dirty in the Warzone. As bad as he and Tommy had ended, Steve had never considered that his... old friend might be one of the idiots brainwashed by Jason's prejudice. Not even when Vickie's ex-boyfriend was there, home from college, did he think any of the people from his grade would be stupid enough to listen to some dumbfuck kid.

But there Tommy had been, just as Steve had left him.

The fight had been quiet, but had torn Steve apart in a way that the demobat's couldn't reach. Every healed wound was reopened, every argument relitigated, but Steve had gotten the last word.

"If you want to keep pretending to get the approval of people who would kill you if they knew who you were, go ahead, Tommy," Steve had said, "but I'm fucking sick of it."

When they had gotten back into the RV, Steve's hands were shaking. That was the last time he would ever see Tommy Hagan, he told himself, one way or another.

But apparently fucking not.

It was too late to go back to the party. Tommy had seen him now, and there was no way Steve was going to give Tommy the pleasure of backing down.

Steve forced himself to enter the kitchen properly, the door shutting behind him. Tommy's eyes never left him, but he forced himself to look down and away, focusing on the bottles of alcohol on the counter. He reached for a bottle of whiskey and a plastic cup, something simple to sip at while he pretended the vast gap between Steve's high school career and Eddie's didn't still scare the shit out of him. This night would be good, and if it couldn't be good, it was at least going to be easy. Steve wouldn't let it be anything else.

"Hey," Tommy said. Steve didn't flinch. Tommy had never let Steve have anything easy; He hadn't expected Tommy to start now.

"Hi," Steve said. He didn't look up until he was done pouring himself a shot. When their eyes finally met again, Steve let himself smile. It wasn't a nice smile, but it felt right on his face, felt good like a knife slipping easily between the ribs. "How's Carol?"

It wasn't his subtlest slight. Tommy barely flinched, but he had never been great at hiding his emotions from Steve, and the frown was evident in the corners of his mouth, of his eyes.

"We broke up," Tommy said, after a moment, and Steve-- Well, that was almost a surprise. He had half expected them to make each other miserable forever, to be old and grey and mean as fuck and convinced they were in love simply because they didn't know anything else. He used to imagine himself as a part of it, too, with dread deep in his stomach. Used to imagine the relief he would feel on his deathbed, finally escaping them.

"Good for Carol," Steve said, and, mouth dry, threw back his shot. Tommy watched him as he poured a new one.

"I thought about what you said, last time," Tommy said, and Steve couldn't help but laugh a little, shaking his head. "No, really, Stevie--"

"Don't. You can't--" Steve's hands shook as he put the bottle back down on the counter. "You don't get to try and fucking win me back. That wasn't the point. I don't-- I don't want you to choose me anymore, Tommy. I got tired of waiting."

"Then what was the point?"

"For you to stop being fucking angry all the time!"

"Oh, like you're one to ta--"

Steve cut across Tommy's words with a hiss. "You joined a fucking lynch mob." Tommy paused, his eyes going wide. Something in Steve's chest broke at that, still a sucker for those big eyes. He had a fucking type, apparently, and it wasn't just Eddie and Nancy-- It was everyone, everyone he'd ever loved, big-eyed broken hearts that Steve wanted to hold together with his own bloody hands. "You were going to kill someone because you were too chicken shit to have someone think you might not be 'normal'. Like it's normal to be so mad at life you kill a guy for listening to music you don't like."

Tommy didn't answer, just downed his own drink. Steve reached for the sours, making some concoction that was more whiskey than mix. He couldn't do this. He couldn't fucking--

"So are you here with him?" Tommy asked. Steve looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed. "With Munson. You're here with him?"

No. No, Steve was done. Something about Eddie's name in Tommy's voice made Steve's brain go static. He wasn't playing this game anymore. Had no need for it. This fucked up ritual of posturing and pretension in someone else's kitchen wasn't who Steve was anymore. He fucking refused to spend the rest of the night sad and sick at his stomach, unable to reach the cool, untouchable facade of Tommy Hagan.

"Is this how you felt that night, with Billy?" Steve asked, instead. Tommy didn't speak, which was really the only answer Steve needed. "Right. Cool. Fuck this. Bye, Hagan."

He left the whiskey on the counter behind him.

Steve returned to Eddie's side just as frantic as he had left him, and it took every ounce of practiced repression that Steve had not to throw himself into Eddie's arms. At least Bev's eyes were kinder, now, though in some ways that made it worse. Steve didn't want to know what lies Eddie had decided to tell her about their relationship, about Steve's descent into dork-hood, about spring break. Mostly, he wanted to cry, but he settled for pressing a little too close into Eddie's side, their arms flush from shoulder to elbow.

"You alright, princess?" Eddie asked, his voice dropped low enough that Steve knew the name was meant to gentle, not to tease. God, Steve loved this man.

"I'm fine," he said, eyes darting to Bev and then back away. "Ran into Tommy in the kitchen. Didn't feel much like drinking anymore."

For a moment, Steve could see it becoming an Issue, Capital I, in Eddie's eyes. They hadn't really talked about Tommy, or his involvement with Jason's group of dipshits, not like they talked about Nancy. Steve had assumed it was all pretty obvious, from the letter jacket to the girlfriend, obvious and pathetic and embarrassing. But apparently Eddie had assumptions of his own, because Steve watched his eyes slide slowly to the direction of the kitchen, watched them go dark with determination. It wasn't anger, just a surety that Steve recognized from the mirror, the mental equivalent of planting your feet in the dirt and daring someone to move you.

Eddie looked at the kitchen like it contained an enemy, not the most pathetic man that Steve had ever known.

"Not that big a deal," Steve said, softly. "Don't worry about it."

"Right," Eddie said, and after a beat, turned back to Beverly. "Sorry, what were you saying about parking?"

The conversation picked back up like Steve had never interrupted, although a little softer now, with spaces at the edges like they were both waiting for Steve to join them. He didn't feel the need, didn't feel like the energy would be worth what it took to craft himself into a functioning person.

He kept close to Eddie, instead. Too close to be written off as just friends, honestly, close enough to get them both killed if the wrong person looked at them twice. And people were looking. Of course they were; Steve Harrington's arm was wrapped around Eddie Munson's waist, fingers tangled in the chain that spilled from his lover's pocket. How could they not look? Even Beverly seemed shocked, like even all her years of freakery at Eddie's side hadn't prepared her for the depth of Steve's need. Steve only pressed closer, the metal on Eddie's belt biting into his skin. He didn't care.

Neither, it seemed, did Eddie, which was more of a surprise. Steve had prepared himself to be pushed away. Had already begun placating the longing thing in his chest that it wasn't a true rejection, that Eddie was only doing what was smart. That he needed to get hurt to keep them safe. But Eddie never moved from his side. Never said a word about it, either, just slung a nonchalant arm over Steve's shoulders.

It was so fucking stupid, wasn't it? Stupid of Steve to stand this close, and hold so tightly. Stupid of Eddie to let him. Tears stung at Steve's eyes. He'd never been loved enough to be loved stupidly before. But Steve had enough of logical affection. Nancy and Tommy were so, so careful with him, but never in the ways that mattered. They measured their love into bits and pieces, rationing it out when it was safe. When it was allowed. Not Eddie, though.

Eddie held him in full view of the entire fucking town, if Steve needed it badly enough.

"Do you know that guy?" Beverly asked, loud enough that even Steve followed her eyeline.

Tommy stood against the far wall, far enough away that he couldn't hear their conversation, but close enough he couldn't be ignored. His gaze burned on Steve's skin. He didn't look disgusted or angry, not like Steve would have expected a mere six months ago, but there was an intensity to his eyes that Steve didn't like. He pressed himself further into Eddie's side.

"Tell me to go talk to him," Eddie said. Like he was letting Steve call the shots. Like he was asking for permission. "It'll be quick, I promise."

"Just get me out of here." Steve's hand slid up from Eddie's hip, fingers bunching the hem of Eddie's shirt in his palm. "Somewhere we can be alone. Please."

For a moment, it looked like Eddie was going to argue. Steve tried to beg silently for him to understand-- There were at least a dozen people looking at them right now, Tommy the least to worry about. Steve had leverage on Tommy, Steve knew things about Tommy that would kill his reputation with more than just their friends. Tommy couldn't say shit without Steve taking him down with him. They both knew that.

But if Eddie started shit in public, there was nothing Steve could do. In fact, it would only be more damning. Steve tried not to think about what the neighbors would tell his parents, if it were rumor that Eddie and Tommy had fought over him.

Common sense won out. Eddie shrugged and turned to Bev with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Hanlon. We gotta step out for a second. Maybe I'll see you around."

Bev shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Eddie. You guys have a nice night..." She met Steve's eyes. "It was nice to meet you, Steve."

"You too," Steve lied. It was too bad, he thought as Eddie led him away. It would have been nice to actually have a good time with one of Eddie's friends. He'd yet to meet one who didn't hate him on sight, but it was always nice to dream. Maybe the next time would be easier, if Beverly stuck around until school started back. Gareth still hadn't deigned to be in the same room with him a second time.

Leading Steve up the staircase, Eddie tangled their fingers together. The second floor was empty, enough to give Steve the bravery to cling onto his boyfriend. There was a bathroom on this landing, Steve remembered, a bathroom where--

"In here," he said, without thinking. "Can we just-- In here?"

Without answering, Eddie pulled him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Okay," Eddie said, voice shaking. "Do you want to tell me what--" He was cut off by Steve flinging himself into Eddie's arms. It was clumsy, more like a tackle than a hug. Steve's shoulder hit Eddie square in the chest, sending them both stumbling back, knocking into the wall and sending towels and loofahs tumbling off the rickety rack beside them. Eddie's arms came up around Steve before the impact even registered, just as tight as Steve was clinging to him. "Hey, hey. It's okay, Stevie. It's okay. He's not going to touch you."

Steve laughed wetly, his tears seeping into Eddie's t-shirt. "It's not-- Fuck Tommy Hagan. I don't care about-- Fuck, Eddie, I don't care about him." Eddie said nothing, just stroked one hand down Steve's spine, waiting. Steve took one shuddering breath before continuing, "I just don't understand why it has to be so fucking hard all the time."

"I'm sorry." Eddie's voice was soft, but there was a guilt there that was all too familiar to Steve. He forced himself to pull out of Eddie's embrace enough to make eye contact.

"It's not your fault," Steve said, sliding one hand around to rest on Eddie's chest. "It's never your fault, when I-- when I get like this. I promise."

Eddie pushed a messy lock of hair back into place, away from Steve's forehead, and smiled sadly. "It'd be easier, though, if you weren't worried about being in love with the Freak."

"It wouldn't," Steve said, pushing closer again. He stooped low enough to rest his forehead on Eddie's collarbone, curling against him. "You're the only thing that's ever been easy."

"This is the second time I've made you cry at a party," Eddie said, but there was a smile in his voice now. Steve nudged his nose into Eddie's skin and sighed.

"I made myself cry, both times," Steve reminded him. "We're not even fighting this time. I just got into my own head about meeting your friend, and then--" He swallowed. "Well, Tommy."

"I wish I could make it easier for you," Eddie said. He dipped his head to press a kiss to Steve's clothed shoulder. Steve smiled and leaned into the contact, loving the warmth filling him up from Eddie's easy acceptance. Every day, Eddie's lack of judgment when it came to Steve's quirks made his brain quiet enough to manage.

"This makes it easier," Steve said. He cradled Eddie's face in his hands, tilting Eddie's chin up so Steve could litter his face with kisses. "Being yours makes it so, so easy."

"You're trying to butter me up." Far from sounding put out, Eddie's arms wrapped back around Steve's waist, pulling him roughly against Eddie's chest.

"Trying to seduce you, actually," Steve said, lightly. Nothing banished the shadows from his mind like touch. Just Eddie's skin against his could cure him, Steve thought, if the world didn't demand distance between them just to get through another day. He tried to forget that separation waited in the wings, tried to pretend that the entire world was here, inside this bathroom. Swallowed down his tears and hid a smile under the curve of Eddie's jaw. "Is it working?"

Eddie sighed, but he was already backing Steve up against the sink, crowding him into the porcelain. Steve clung to Eddie's shoulders as Eddie's body forced him off balance, his back curving over the sink, towards the mirror, the facsimile of a dip.

"One of these days, Harrington, I'm going to put a stop to these little distractions of yours." Despite his protest, Steve could hear Eddie's interest in the scratch of his voice, could feel it in the way Eddie's fingers gripped at his body.

Steve angled their faces together, humming against Eddie's lips in mock thought. "You can certainly try."

With a growl, Eddie kissed him.

Steve wondered if he would ever get used to the way Eddie kissed him. It was ridiculous, he thought, as Eddie licked into his mouth, that Eddie could take him apart this way with so little effort. They had done very little together but kiss for weeks now, even their public hangouts culminating in an hour or two of necking. It wasn't like Eddie was the first person to ever kiss him. Eddie wasn't even the first man to ever kiss him.

Fuck if Eddie couldn't set him on fire, though.

"You drive me fucking insane," Eddie groaned as he dragged his open mouth across Steve's cheek.

"Yeah?" Steve's voice shouldn't be so breathless, he knew that, but hearing his own voice wrecked like that only made his chest pull tighter.

"Using all my best moves and you're a mile away." Eddie pressed impossibly closer, his teeth digging gently into the meat of Steve's cheek, just enough for Steve to feel the pressure and shiver against him. "What are you thinking about, huh, Stevie? What's got my sweetheart's attention?"

"Thinking about you," Steve promised. "Always thinking about you, Eddie."

Eddie's hand slid into Steve's hair, gripping at the fine hairs at the nape of Steve's hair until they stung enough to make him gasp. "I'm right here, baby. Don't go floating away on me yet."

Steve didn't bother replying, just pulled against Eddie's grip, trying to connect their mouths again. Eddie tutted, the kind of condescending that sent shivers down Steve's spine. "None of that, now," Eddie said. He no longer needed his hands to keep Steve in place, his body keeping Steve's solidly pinned against the porcelain of the sink. His free hand was much better used trailing a thumb down the exposed tendon in Steve's neck as Eddie surveyed Steve with flashing eyes. "You gonna tell me what's got you so eaten up inside, Stevie?"

"I told you," Steve whined. He was getting better at talking about his feelings; At least, he was trying. Steve honestly thought he was miles ahead of where he used to be. Sure, he still started fights now and again, but it wasn't out of sheer desire to never let himself any emotion but anger. If anything, he was a little too in touch with his emotions. He felt like they were spilling out of his mouth constantly, with or without his permission. At first he'd thought it was a result of the adrenaline, the way he was always confessing something embarassing after life or death situations. Or before them. But no one had tried to kill him recently, and it still seemed like Steve was admitting one mortifying secret after another.

"You've hinted," Eddie challenged. "You haven't told me what really happened. If he... I don't know how you two ended. But if Tommy is a problem.."

There was a moment, where Eddie was trying to find the words to say. Steve could already hear them, though, the same words Robin had tried to ask-- Had tried to ask about Eddie, too, recently. He wondered what it was about him that screamed victim to the people who loved him, what made them always assume he had been hurt in some terrible way. It was sweet that they wanted to protect him, but a part of Steve was a little sick of it, too. He wasn't a child. He could handle asshole exes.

"It wasn't like that," Steve said, and at the dubious look in Eddie's eyes, he shook his head, laughing a little at the ridiculousness of the situation. "No, seriously, Ed. Tommy and I got in fights, yeah, especially at the end, but I was just as mean as him. I hit harder, too. Sure, he hurt me, but it wasn't-- It was like Nancy and I, really, except worse. We couldn't talk, and it wasn't that we didn't want to, we were just fucking terrified of saying what we actually wanted. That wasn't Tommy's fault." It hurt to admit, but Steve was fairly sure that the nebulous mess of his and Tommy's relationship was just as much his fault as anybody else's. Sure, Tommy had been the one to constantly choose Carol, over and over, but Steve hadn't exactly asked to be chosen. He had been content, even pursued Nancy out of some need to complete the perfect image the three of them had already begun. He had been the one to fall in love with someone else, too, no matter how much it stung when Tommy threw it in his face.

"So why are we hiding in a bathroom then, baby?" Eddie asked.

Steve bit his lip, a smile quirking the edges of his lips despite himself when Eddie's eyes flicked down, distracted. He took a second to gather himself, almost wishing he had the strength to push Eddie away for this conversation. "You're not going to like it," he said.

"Wow, I'm not going to like what's making my boyfriend cry? Shocker."

"It's about spring break," Steve said, and watched the teasing smile fade from Steve's face with a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Tommy was..."

"Yeah. Yeah, he came home for break, and-- And he and Jason hadn't exactly been close, you know, with Jason being so new and all, but he had looked up to us, and he was always so eager to do what Tommy said, and Tommy isn't exactly great at breaking from the pack. I mean, you saw how he was with--" Steve's throat tightened. "You know, with Billy."

Eddie's lips pursed. "Beginning to sense a pattern there, yeah."

"I don't know what's worse," Steve said, "the idea that he never really knows how bad they are or the idea that he just doesn't care."

There was a long moment as Eddie took a deep breath, and then he said: "Stevie, baby, you know that doesn't have anything to do with you, right?"

"I think it--" Steve laughed, wetly, tears caught in his throat. "I think it has a lot to do with me, actually."

"No--"

"Eddie. Tommy was my best friend for years. I was in love with him. And he's-- He's a terrible fucking person. I cut him loose and the next guy he's cozying up to is Billy fucking--" Steve could feel himself start to spiral again, even in the firm press of Eddie's body. "Did Lucas ever tell you what Billy tried to do to him? He was gonna run him over. Even worse, maybe, that night he showed up to my house. And Tommy fucking introduced me to him like it was going to make me jealous. And it did. I was jealous of a man who wanted to kill little kids."

"Steve," Eddie tried, but Steve was galloping away without him.

"And then Jason Carver. Tommy was gone, he was out of here, but he couldn't even make it one week without throwing in with the asshole who was going to kill you. They were going to kill you, Eddie."

"I know, baby. I know."

"Tommy was going to kill you, and he-- He loved me. He did, he loved me. And he was going to kill you, Eddie. So what the fuck's the matter with me?"

"I--" Eddie looked lost, honestly, and Steve's heart broke a little. He wanted Eddie to tell him he was crazy, wanted Eddie to make it all go away, but even Eddie couldn't untangle the chaos of Steve's thoughts. "There's nothing wrong with you, Stevie. You can't take responsibility for something he did two years after you stopped talking to the guy. Like, what, you're gonna blame yourself for everything he does for the next ten years, too?"

"You don't get it. It's like... It's like, Tommy only chooses the worst people. Just, the worst fucking people Hawkins has to offer. So-- so why was I one of them? What's fucking wrong with me that the only person to ever want to own me is--"

"I'm gonna have to stop you right there," Eddie said, his voice the kind of gentle that spoke of intent. "Because I think you're confused, baby. You don't belong to Tommy, do you?"

Confusion brought Steve's rising panic to a halt, had him looking up at Eddie with a furrowed brow. "No? No, obviously not. I wouldn't--"

"Steve." Just a little firmer now, Eddie's gentle hands cupped Steve's thighs and lifted him up just enough that one of Eddie's thighs could slide between them. "Who do you belong to, baby?"

"Oh," Steve gasped, the air rushing out of him. "I--" Eddie seemed to be content to wait, but there was no amusement in his eyes, just the intense stare of a man waiting for the right moment.

Steve swallowed. "You?" he tried, then flushed when a grin broke over Eddie's face in approval. Still, whatever lurked in Eddie's eyes wasn't exactly happiness. It was a little darker than that, a little hungrier, a little meaner. Steve knew he should probably be worried, at least be a little more attached to the panic that had seemed so all consuming, but the sight of what Steve hoped might be possession in Eddie's eyes had him flushing with excitement instead.

"That's right," Eddie said, and pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek as if to prove it. "You're all mine. No one else gets to have you, because no one else can take care of you right, can they, sweetheart? No one else knows how to treat my Stevie. Especially not Tommy fucking Hagan."

"Yours," Steve promised, heart in his throat.

Eddie hummed in agreement, nosing his way lower to mouth at Steve's jaw. When he'd had his fill of the scratch of Steve's stubble against his tongue, he said, "And I only have the best, right? Don't I deserve it, baby boy?"

"You deserve everything, Ed," Steve breathed, clinging to Eddie's shoulders.

Sighing, Eddie dug his fingers into the muscle of Steve's thighs, the slight ache the perfect punishment for Steve's racing mind. "Then my baby should be the best, right? You're the only one I got, sweetheart. And I don't know what you were like, when Tommy Hagan tried to make you his. Doesn't really matter, either, because you're mine now, and you're the best fucking thing this town has to offer. That's all I know. Fuck everything else."

Steve pulled at Eddie's shirt, his hands going so tight he could feel the bite of his nails in his palms even through the thin fabric. He didn't know what to say, couldn't find a way to make his logic work without insulting Eddie or his choices-- Logic that made about much sense as Eddie's did, if Steve was honest with himself; Both of them were arguments Nancy would scoff at, circular and emotional and, frankly, stupid. But it made Steve want to cry anyway, because Eddie wanted the very best, and Eddie wanted him.

"Prove it," Steve said, because otherwise he would sob and he wasn't sure if he would ever stop.

"Prove what? Use your words, big boy. I know you can."

Pulling a little harder, Steve bullied Eddie back just enough to look him in the eye. "Prove that I'm yours. That I'm-- that I'm the best."

Eddie shifted his weight, throwing Steve even further off balance. There wasn't a word for what Eddie was doing now other than looming; With no real height difference, Eddie had made himself one, using every trick he knew to make himself large and imposing. Steve's entire field of vision was swallowed up by Eddie, all black cotton and leather. Eddie leaned in close, smiling that wolfish grin.

"Yeah, I can do that for you, baby," Eddie said, his hot breath against Steve's lips.

And then Steve was being consumed.

It was impossible to think when Eddie kissed him like this, and although Robin had tried to wheedle details out of Steve, he had always failed to put into words just how Eddie made him feel. The simple fact of the matter was that Steve would never be able to properly describe it, because that required his brain to be coherent enough to remember anything. Even in the moment, Steve didn't have words for what he was feeling. There was no fancy language or purple prose that floated through his head, no inner monologue, just the vague recognition of hot and wet and sheer animal instinct.

Steve felt very, very sorry for all the girls who had once called him the best kisser in Hawkins, because this was so much better than anything he'd ever managed in high school.

After a moment, Eddie began to back off, and Steve recognized the move. It seemed that getting Steve riled up was half the fun for Eddie, and it only took a couple days for Steve to see a pattern begin to emerge. Eddie would kiss him until he could scarcely breathe, much less think, and then pull back. What was once tongue and teeth would become chaste and gentle, patient, and then Eddie would hold it over his head as Steve went crazy trying to get Eddie's tongue back in his mouth. It was mean, and Steve would be more irritated by how obviously Eddie got off on it if it didn't feel so good for Eddie to hold him down and make him take what Eddie was willing to give.

Steve's cock began to thicken in his pants, far too turned on for some juvenile necking at a bathroom. Mostly sober, even. Steve had a reputation to keep up, steady boyfriend or not, and while he knew Eddie wasn't exactly going to talk about his performance in the locker rooms, getting a stiffy every time he got his mouth on Eddie's was the antithesis of cool. It wasn't hot, either. It was lukewarm. Tepid. The kind of baby shit Steve had stopped doing in the 10th grade. With that in mind, Steve broke the kiss to catch his breath, and groaned when Eddie took it as a sign to attach his teeth to Steve's neck, instead. Squirming, Steve tried to angle his hips away from Eddie's. Unfortunately, it only made more clear the firm press of Eddie's cock against his thigh. Eddie didn't seem as concerned, focused intently on the hickey he was leaving on Steve's pulse point, but suddenly Steve was able to think of very little else.

It was dizzying, just the idea of Eddie, thick and hard. It was hard to get an idea of what he looked like by touch alone, but Steve had more than enough imagination to make up for it. Steve's mouth flooded with saliva as he pictured it, what it might feel like warm and heavy in his hand, on his tongue-- Fuck, if Steve thought the fantasies were bad when Eddie touched him, then they were even worse when Eddie kissed him. If he'd had even a fraction of strength left in his limbs, then Steve might have pushed Eddie away and sunk to his knees on the tile floor. That, at least, would keep the issue of his new hair trigger cock out of the equation for a little while. But pinned against the sink, Steve had little to no leverage, and as Eddie laved down to his collarbone to start work anew, he wasn't sure he really wanted to.

What he needed was a distraction, really. As he clung to Eddie, whining high when teeth closed around the tendons in his throat and tugged gently, Steve tried to think of anything else. Anything else. The world that had seemed so upsetting before now seemed a thousand miles away, and he struggled to sift through the memories of just a few moments ago. Tina's party, he made himself remember, and the ugly couch with the ratty upholstery they kept in their basement. The awful orange tile backsplash in their kitchen. The burn of the vodka down his throat. The music, so loud he could still hear it now, bass thumping up through the floor and into his bones, the distant whine of an electric guitar.

With a giggle, Steve realized he recognized the song. Vaguely, of course; It was the kind of recognition he had for the soaps Mrs. Buckley watched while he helped her with dinner, viewed through the fog of apathy. It wasn't one of Eddie's songs. In fact, the only reason Steve remembered it at all was that it had once inspired a ninety minute diatribe against the evils of 'glam metal', one which had only settled after Steve had revealed that, actually, he thought Slash was kinda hot. Eddie had been so aghast at Steve getting the band wrong that he hadn't been able to continue to besmirch them, and that had been the end of that. The giggles continued, as Steve remembered the betrayed little looks Eddie had sent him for the rest of the day.

"Something funny, buttercup?" Eddie said, biting harder at Steve's throat.

Steve hummed just to feel his skin vibrate against Eddie's teeth. "They're playing your song," he said, every syllable falling into laughter.

After a brief moment, Eddie snorted and pulled away. He was so fucking beautiful, Steve thought, with his pupils blown and his smile sharp. He was beautiful everyday, of course, but mostly like this, when he was looking at Steve like he was something to eat. "If you're listening to the music, I must not be doing a very good job," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

Doing too damn good a job, Steve didn't say. The brief distraction had rid Steve of the fear of coming untouched like a virgin, but his dick still throbbed insistently in his pants. "Guess not," he said, barely holding himself back from panting.

"Yeah, okay, Harrington." Eddie patted him on the hip. "Hop up."

"What?"

Rolling his eyes, Eddie once again grabbed Steve by the thighs, but this time he lifted, sliding Steve up and back to perch on the lip of the sink. Steve blinked in surprise. He'd known Eddie had some strength from that moment in the boat house, and had never forgotten that the man could apparently throw him around anytime Steve asked for it, but he hadn't expected to actually be... well, picked up and thrown. Not that there had been very far to go, but... Fuck.

Steve could feel himself flushing as Eddie pushed his legs apart, stepping into the cradle he made there. "Now I've got you where I want you," Eddie said, smug and self-assured, and Steve could only reach up for a kiss.

Despite Steve's enthusiastic appeal, Eddie refused to let Steve take charge. Any hands that reached for sensitive areas were batted away, and when Steve's kisses delved too deep, Eddie grabbed him by the hair and pulled him away. It was torture in the worst way, not least of all because Eddie was doing all he could to be as tempting as possible. Every moment, every kiss and caress, every roll of his hips was choreographed and perfectly placed. Steve had never witnessed anything like it. Never had someone perform for him like this-- Because that's what this was. Eddie was seducing him like it was a performance, like Eddie was on stage and working the crowd. Steve had never gotten a lap dance before, but he'd heard of them, from the guys who weren't afraid to pay for the seedier shit. This wasn't the same, some no-touch tease of a thing with a girl whose name you barely knew, but Steve figured the appeal was the same. Sex and a show, someone sexy wrapped in leather and all their attention on you. The beat of the song vibrated through Steve's bones, no longer from the stereo downstairs but because Eddie was fucking him at 124 beats per minute.

Because he was being fucked. The fact they both still had their fucking pants on was doing nothing to change the way Steve felt like he was being fucking taken apart, or the fact that Eddie had him pinned and desperate. Even though it dulled the edge of pleasure, Steve could still feel the jut of Eddie's cock against his own as Eddie rocked into him. He'd had his fair share of dry humping, girls and guys alike, and it had never felt like this. It was supposed to be distracted and silly, something horny teens who didn't know better gave into, but this was...

This was Eddie, stupid and messy and unplanned in someone else's bathroom, and Steve felt like he was drowning in it.

"Doing okay, princess?" Eddie asked, panting open-mouth against Steve's ear.

Steve threw back his head and moaned. Before he could even recover, Eddie's teeth were around his Adam's apple, digging in softly.

"I'm gonna fucking come," Steve said outloud, the crown of his head bumping against the mirror behind him. Before he said it out loud, he hadn't realized how true it was. His underwear was wet with precum, and it dragged minutely against the head of his cock with every thrust even as it did its best to escape the fabric. Every shift against his sensitive skin brought just the barest edge of pain, and Steve wasn't sure if his balls were drawing tight because of it or in spite of it, but he was hurtling towards the edge regardless. Steve's toes curled in his shoes, another reminder of how much better this would all be if he was just fucking naked. Eddie showed no signs of stopping, his head dropping to Steve's shoulder as he focused entirely on the cant of their bodies together.  

"God, yeah," Eddie groaned, just loud enough for Steve to hear. "Let 'em hear you cum, baby. Let the whole fucking party know you're up here getting railed like the slut you are."

There were several things Steve wanted to say that-- He wanted to protest being called a slut, wanted to tease Eddie that if he wanted to 'rail' Steve he was going to have to do a little better than this. What Steve's brain wanted to do had very little to do with what his body was doing, however, because his cock fucking loved it. He felt himself twitch against the fabric once, twice more at the sheer thought of someone downstairs hearing him come apart, and then he was spilling into the already sodden fabric of his pants.

Clinging onto the last bit of common sense left in his dizzy little brain, Steve didn't cry out as his hips jerked, artless, against Eddie's. He buried his face in Eddie's neck and choked his way through it, teeth gritted against the sob rising in his throat.

Eddie dropped the performance in the face of Steve's desperate embrace, his own grip becoming softer. "There you go, sweetheart. God, my pretty baby," Eddie crooned, dropping kisses against whatever bits of Steve's skin he could reach. As Steve tried not to squirm his way off the sink during the aftershocks, Eddie continued his soft litany of nonsensical endearments.

"What does it say about me," Steve panted into Eddie's neck, "that I've been having sex for four years and that's the hardest I've ever come?"

Laughing, Eddie cupped the back of Steve's head, smoothing down the wayward hair there. It was a sweet gesture, caring in its absentminded way, and Steve pulled back enough to stare up at Eddie, delighted.

"I think it means you have a really sexy boyfriend," Eddie said, smug as anything.

With a roll of his eyes, Steve said, "I think my sexy boyfriend should let me return the favor." Then he hooked his pointer fingers into Eddie's waistband and waited for the smirk on Eddie's face to fade into shock.

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked, as Steve's wandering hands made their way to his fly. "I just wanted to get you out of your head, baby. You really don't have to--"

Steve shoved his hand into Eddie's pants, never breaking their gaze while he wrapped his hand around Eddie's cock. "I've been thinking about sucking your cock for months now," Steve said. "Please believe me when I say I really, really do need to, actually."

Eddie glanced down at the tile below them, wincing at the off-white color. "I'm not letting you suck my dick in this bathroom." When Steve scoffed, he looked up, eyes squinted with displeasure– As if Steve weren't literally rubbing his thumb over the head of Eddie's dick. "Stop being a little brat. You deserve better."

"I deserve your cock in my throat," Steve grumbled. He was a little pleased, in spite of himself. Not many of his previous partners had put much thought into what Steve did or didn't 'deserve'. If Steve offered, it was accepted, and more than half would gladly push him down to his knees where he belonged. It had never upset him, because Steve liked it– being on his knees, being pushed around, it was all exactly where he wanted to be. But there was a little thrill in the idea of Eddie making sure it was good and safe for Steve, too.

Not as much of a thrill as Eddie making him choke on his dick, but still.

"Do I have permission to at least make you come with my hand?" Steve said. Enjoying the teasing, he kept his voice mockingly nonchalant, as if Eddie's dick in his palm was something that happened everyday. One of Eddie's eyebrows arched, a skill that inspired as much lust in Steve as it did blistering jealousy. It should be illegal for one nerd loser to be so fucking sexy while Steve still had trouble walking down the street without causing a minor disaster.  

"You can certainly try," Eddie said.

Steve didn't like the amused tone in Eddie's voice, the one that said Eddie doubted very much that Steve could make him come with nothing but a dry hand. He knew it was only playing, a more intimate version of their friendly arguments, but mixed with the recent overprotectiveness it made Steve's hackles raise like an angry cat. He wanted to make Eddie's eyes fucking roll with pleasure, if only to prove to himself that he was still in full control of himself and his... various skills.

Carefully, Steve finally released Eddie's dick from the confines of his boxers, trying not to show how excited he was for the first glimpse of his boyfriend's dick. It was honestly nothing special, if Steve was being honest with himself, average sized and curved enough to make every stroke smooth. Still, the fact that it was his boyfriend's dick, flushed purple and hot in his hand, was enough to make Steve's mouth water. It was the prettiest dick in the world, he decided, and then quickly vowed to never say anything that embarrassing out loud.

Eager to get started, Steve spit into his hand and resumed the slow, long strokes that he'd teased Eddie with before, pausing to play idly with the head now and again.

Eddie shifted his weight, leaning into Steve. "You can go a little faster, you know," he said. Steve could hear the feigned, practiced boredom in his voice, and the slight strain underneath.

Don't bullshit the bullshitter, Steve thought.

It was easy to return the unconcerned energy. All Steve really had to do was prop his free arm on Eddie's shoulder, a casually intimate gesture. It was the kind of thing he'd do with a friend at a party, his hand not even resting on Eddie's body. If he couldn't feel the spit and precum oozing between his fingers, Steve would almost say this was the most obviously platonic they'd been all night.

"You know, I think it's really sweet when you treat me like a virgin," Steve said, in the same voice he'd talk about the weather, or which of them was supposed to pick up Dustin that day. "Unnecessary, but really, really sweet. But you know, I have to wonder if it's maybe a little selfish?"

Eddie didn't even acknowledge Steve's words, his entire attention on the hand on his cock. Steve could feel Eddie's fingers flex where they gripped at his hips, could see Eddie's throat work as he swallowed, but it wasn't enough. He wanted Eddie's attention on him, not the easy friction of Steve's hand. Eddie could get that anywhere.

Fighting the urge to pout and beg for the attention he felt he was owed, Steve leaned in until his chin was almost resting on Eddie's shoulder. Breath disturbing the fine baby hairs behind Eddie's ear, Steve said, "Is that what gets you off, Eddie? Pretending I'm a precious little virgin? That's so sweet, baby." 'Sweet' had turned into something sharp in Steve's mouth, a condescending word full of mocking. The kindest synonym for stupid. "Everyone knows I'm a needy slut, but you need to pretend you're the guy who taught me, not T--"

"Don't say his fucking name," Eddie spit, just vicious enough that Steve didn't press it, though he couldn't tell if the tension was actual anger or the oncoming orgasm.

Switching tactics, Steve sighed. "You played your hand there, babe, telling me to cum loud enough for them to hear me. You want them to know you're up here slutting me out, that you're the one who turns me into a cockslut? And it would be such a shame, wouldn't it, if one of them came up here. If T-- If one of the guys came to check on us and they saw King Steve begging for your cock. But you want it so bad, don't you?"

"Need to know who you belong to," Eddie groaned, and then shifted his weight further into Steve as his hips bucked into the clench of Steve's hand. They were plastered together once again, Steve's forehead resting against Eddie's temple. Contrary to the bitchy tone of his teasing, Steve pressed a kiss to Eddie's cheek, overwhelmed by affection. All he'd ever wanted was to be owned, and here Eddie was, about to blow his load at the thought of publically owning him. Steve had just come, and his thighs were still clenching in anticipation at the idea.He whimpered in Eddie's ear and luxuriated in the pained hiss he got in return.

"I belong to you," Steve assured him, the mask of nonchalance falling away. "They didn't take care of me, did they? Not like I needed. Not like you can. So you gotta claim me, gotta let 'em know they can't ever touch me again."

Eddie didn't reply, his chest heaving as he panted, open-mouthed, in time with Steve's strokes. His cock throbbed in Steve's grip, and Steve grinned.

"That's it, baby," Steve crooned, brushing his lips over the tip of Eddie's ear. "Come all over me. Make sure they know who I belong to."

Watching Eddie come was a form of release Steve hadn't even known he needed. He'd never really bothered himself with the physical manifestation of his partners' pleasure before; The orgasm itself was the goal, the mess that came with it was just a slightly irritating reality of sex. But with Eddie's come dripping down his knuckles and splashing across the hem of his shirt, Steve didn't feel the same irritation. For once, he bought into his own dirty talk. The warmth was a brand, now, and he could feel Eddie's claim sink into his skin.

Steve's cock gave a pathetic, painful twitch in his pants, and he groaned as he remembered the mess he'd made. That, at least, was still mildly disgusting.

"Get up," he said, shoving at Eddie's shoulder. "I want to go home."

Eddie laughed, finally straightening up to look Steve in the eye. He was fucking beautiful like this, Steve thought, his hair frizzy and sweat-matted, his cheeks flushed. "You never heard of an afterglow, Harrington?"

"You can glow all you want when I have clean underwear on," Steve said, but even when Eddie stepped back, Steve made sure to stay close. He thought if he lost the warmth of Eddie's body against his, he might actually lose his mind. "Come on, I wanna cuddle. Take me home."

"We haven't even been here an hour!" Eddie said, still laughing.

"I guess you should have thought about that before you made me come untouched, asshole," Steve said, and then stopped, sighing. "You were right, anyway. I hate these people."

"Alright, alright, let me put my dick back in my pants, you maniac," Eddie said, tucking himself away, grimacing at the oversensitivity.

Steve looked down at himself. Cum stained the edge of his shirt  and the jeans below, and his hands were still tacky and wet. Even worse was what couldn't be seen, the mess in his pants that seemed worse every time Steve moved. "Talk about your walk of shame," he mumbled. Patting Eddie's shoulder with the back of his hand, he said out loud, "Scoot back so I can turn the sink on?"

Eddie obliged, stepping as far back as the bathroom walls would let him. Steve hopped down from the counter and turned to wash his hands. He could feel Eddie's eyes on him in the mirror, but didn't bother making eye contact, content to let his boyfriend look his fill. It made Steve feel secure, anyway, like Eddie's gaze was holding him down. Like Eddie's eyes on him were what made him real.

After drying his hands, Steve dabbed  ineffectually at the cum stains on his t-shirt with a paper towel. Most of the stickiness faded, from the outside, anyway, but there were still obviously dark spots on the fabric. His jeans were even more obvious, the light wash dark and off-colored in the places Eddie had marked him.

"Well, you said you wanted them to know," Eddie said, laughing, but with none of the light-heartedness he'd had just moments before. He sounded nervous, actually, his voice shaking in a way Steve hadn't heard him sound in a long time.

Steve lowered his hand, grip loosening around the towel. "They were going to know what we were doing in here whether it comes out or not, Eddie," Steve said, slowly. Maybe they would have had a chance of dodging the gossip mongers if Steve hadn't spent half the party clinging to Eddie's side, but none of what they'd done tonight was exactly subtle. Sure, they had plausible deniability, and Steve had enough of a reputation left that people would at least hesitate before they accused him of being a queer. There wouldn't be an angry mob. Whatever hate followed them for this would be much more polite than that, but there was no way tongues wouldn't be wagging about Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington disappearing upstairs at a party.

Eddie's eyes slid away from his. "There's no way anyone is going to buy you hooking up with me," Eddie said, and-- Steve wished he could just chalk it up to insecurity, but Eddie honestly sounded like that was the hopeful outcome, like he was hoping no one would ever know how much Steve loved him. Steve knew it was the cause of years of homophobia and harassment, not because of him, but it was still hard not to feel hurt.

He chose his words carefully. "Not to brag, but people are going to notice if I never look at a girl again," Steve said. He dropped the towel in the trash, feeling ridiculous trying to have a serious conversation still holding a cum-stained piece of paper. "And I'm possessive as hell. People were always going to find out, one day. It might as well be now."

"Are you…" Eddie huffed, his eyes sliding away from Steve. "I'm trying not to do that thing where I assume you're going to be a victim of some terrible evil."

"Thanks," Steve said, his voice dry.

"But it's going to be bad for you," Eddie said, "in a way it wasn't for me. No one ever expected me to be anything else, but you– Your family –"

"Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of shit that sucks, Eddie, but when the alternative is pretending I don't love you for the foreseeable future, I think it's worth it." Steve took Eddie's hand in his. "I want to love you out loud, every fucking second that I possibly can. And if someone has a problem with it, then they can try and stop me, sure. But I don't think there's a goddamn thing they can do to me that Vecna didn't try, first."

Despite himself, Eddie laughed, his face full of that fond exasperation that so often followed Steve around these days. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess there's nothing to worry about."

"Now you're getting it." Steve pressed a kiss to the corner of Eddie's mouth, and then pulled back, smiling. "So are you going to get me out of this hellhole, or what?"

"This was your idea!" Eddie protested, even as he unlocked the door and opened it slowly.

It was hard to drop the secrecy completely, all the big talk falling to the wayside when faced with reality. They stepped into the hallway gingerly, their guards sliding back up around them as they slipped back into real life. On the stairs down, their hands parted without thought, the comfort of the grip dissolving in fear. But Steve stayed close, and didn't bother putting a platonic distance between them even when he felt the burning gaze of his old friends settle on his skin.

"Do you want to say goodbye to Bev?" Steve asked, leaning in to speak over the music. That was his excuse, anyway.

Eddie's grin said he knew exactly what Steve was doing, but his words played dumb. "Nah, she said she'd drop by the Hideout before she heads back to school. Let's get out of here, baby."