#sky high au

[chaoticgood-munson]

So I was just reminded of my first bad boy awakening

Remember him? Warren Peace from Sky High. Angry fire boy who hates the main character Will Stronghold

Okay now hear me out. Stranger Things, but make it Sky High. Eddie is Warren. Steve is Will, Reader is Layla (the girl who can control plants). In the end, reader chooses Eddie because THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD'VE BEEN IN THE MOVIE!!

[h3rmitsunited]

Backdraft: A Steddie Sky High AU. Read on AO3. Read on tumblr.

I gave it a name… because the goblins have grabbed me.

(First post)(Eddie drawing)(Eddie drawing 2)(Steddie comic)

Did I get myself so obsessed with this AU that I wrote a thing and drew another silly little thing? Yes. I did. It was against my will, I swear. Fucking assholes grabbed a hold of my brain and dragged me kicking and screaming into this shit. And yeah, I haven’t really had the motivation to draw anything or write anything worth posting in months, so I am glad to have some motivation again, but I got other stuff I was gonna work on (and a huge test for my career coming up in like less than two months that I need to study for, so I do NOT have time for this)…

I’d like to say that this is just going to be a one shot, but my brain is not in the habit of listening to me, so we’ll see where it goes. Maybe will be a chapter fic, maybe a series of one shots in the AU universe, maybe I’ll post this and never touch it again. Who knows…

Let me know if you guys like any of this. I’m having fun with it, but it’s also validating to see that people like seeing it too. I am a fragile arteest with a need for kind words.

Also, like send me questions about this AU because I need to flesh it out and the prompting helps. (Like would Eddie still DM a Dungeons and Dragons game with a superhero world? Like magic stuff is real, so would people still be into that? I’m writing him still having his band buddies at least, so he’s not all alone at school, but I’m deciding if he’d still be a Hellfire nerd at school (and like Hellfire… very on the nose)). Plus the relationships and other characters are tricky to place with the backstory I’m thinking Steve has, and just changes to the Sky High sort of set up. Tricky tricky tricky.

[darrenpeace]

Up for some more Knight Will x Witch Princess Gwen? Loved the last one you did with them!

(!) background is AI generated (!)

Will doesn’t really look like a knight, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t one. Just something cute and sunny.

Sorry for sooooo loooooong

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

when you caught me - Jake "Hangman" Seresin x OC (Sky High AU)

It seems like RONNIE BRADSHAW was always destined for greatness. The youngest child of famous superheroes with incredible phasing powers that developed when she was only four years old. When she came to Sky High, everyone expected her to get put into the Hero Track. Just like her older brother and her parents before her.

But everyone needs to lower their expectations real quick.

Her parents are absent. Her brother is a bully. Getting her powers that early only made her anxious and unable to control them properly. And now, at Sky High, she is immediately put into the Sidekick Track when she can't seem to make her powers work right during first-day auditions.

Everyone thinks she's a huge joke and a screwup - that is, until she meets JAKE SERESIN.

With telekinetic powers, he is the first in his family to show signs of being super. And as a Junior, his big project for the year is to test his abilities in an unconventional way that he hasn't before. So when he runs into this girl in the hallway and she phases right through him, he thinks he's found the perfect project.

But will their working together lead to something more?

[raysletters]

Fanfic Friday!

Rules: share a fic you wrote (or fan art or gif) that you are proud of! Moodboard optional!

Oh would you look at that? nobody actually tagged me, but im really proud of this fic and will forever be my precious baby and my first non canon compliant or canon adjacent fic.

peace by raysletters

"give yourself away sometimes, sweetheart. there's so much of you"

4 times Henry gives himself away, and the 1 time Alex shows him how much there is of him.

lightly inspired in it's nice to have a friend and peace by taylor swift

(alternatively called: the superhero au)

this was written thanks to a prompt from @inexplicablymine for @thebrownstone anniversary exchange and ive never had so much fun writing something ever. it was in the middle of a writers block and i spent SO long thinking about it (mainly bc i cant stand the movie or a certain actress on it) before i remembered my aforementioned hyperfixations on both the bright sessions and the flash (at some point i hope somebody makes a tbs x rwrb fic before i end up caving in and do it myself, even though it would be very similar to this fic, now that i think about it).

(break where i give little information about this bc the research was long and incredibly fun)

after all of that, it was so long that i spent on a google rabbit hole of researching superpowers and thinking how would it fit each person (i KNEW before anything else that i was going to give bea music powers, and after that the rest followed) so it is funny how all of their powers correlate between family and stuff and i need everyone to know about this bc i really spent so long thinking of it.

you have the mountchristen line, that has the "mind powers", starting with mary (psyren) that has the powers to manipulate minds, but it is more like suggestions, so that's why alex and bea could shrug it off and how henry would be able to after fighting his usual response of like going along whatever mary said; then you have catherine (vis) that has telekinesis, aka manipulation of objects through her mind (dont ask me about the name this one was very much just thrown out there when i looked it up suggestions on google). thats where arthur (foxglove) comes in with his ecokinesis (this is more like controlling plants but not really with his mind but like hes in TUNE with the planet and nature ala poison ivy kinda thing(?) (also yes ofc i found out there is a PLANT called FOX-GLOVE and gave it as a name for arthur. that is something he 100% would do and i dont receive criticism for it) and starts the fox-mountchristen line with philip (no i didnt think of his superhero name bc even though he is a bit redeemed here, he doesnt deserve it) and his MANIPULATION OF THE LIGHT WITH HIS MIND. and yes its cool and all, but i just want to emphasize that i wanted them to be able to MANIPULATE PARTS OF NATURE WITH THEIR MINDS BC ITS A MIX OF BOTH CATH AND ARTHUR (sjfnakdjfkahdmfhansbfmahdm im sorry i thought of it while still blocked and thought it was absolutely genius 💀💀). then there comes beautiful gorgeous bea who doesnt have a pseudonym bc she's actually part of the agency trying to control that superheroes dont do crazy stuff (yes bc of mary) and shes a badass agent and also has a band on the side bc she CAN MANIPULATE SOUND AHFNSJHSSJDJABHSNSHAJS. and lastly theres henry with his empathy and this is something not implied but more like a nod to tbs bc henry's actual powers are the manipulation of emotions which MEANS HENRY IS BASICALLY INCREDIBLY FUCKING POWERFUL but since he really doesnt like all that superhero shit, he doesnt care about it. at some point in time, he might discover hes even able to push emotions into other people, but again, since that was a nod to tbs, thats just something for them to discover in the future and thats it.

on the other hand, you have the claremont-díaz line that is messy as fuck, because in this universe, ellen enlisted in the army like her father and she ended up becoming a super soldier, along the lines of captain america, and was called "lometa longshot" bc yes ofc i had to. so you see how she doesnt have actual powers but instead she just has everything ENHANCED????; then you have oscar, who has the ability to fly, (which, fun fact, was actually the last power i thought of bc the idea of it is that oscar had some power of MOVEMENT), and bc you have impossible movement and enhancement, you get beautiful june with her powers of teletransportation that allow her to be a badass reporter and always get exclusives bc of how fast she can get somewhere; and you get alex with his undiagnosed adhd and the fire under his ass for no good reason and then there was absolutely no other choice but to give him super speed (and has nothing to do with the fact that he, like barry allen, is a very intelligent but very chaotic bisexual with undiagnosed adhd).

nora is there vibing, being a tecnopath and having actual numbers on her brain while also planning to conquer the world and also become kind of an iron-woman(? in that she makes gadgets for superheroes and for herself. pez is also vibing and being so cool they even have two powers, being able to shapeshift AND mimic the powers of ppl near them. hes the actual threat in that if they wanted, they could absolutely conquer the world.

ANOTHER FUN FACT: this is fairly obvious but in the us the school is called sky high and in uk the school is called wonder school bc i couldnt think of anything else and my reference for names of schools in the uk is that wizardry school from that horrible book so like,,,,, yeah.

LAST FUN FACT I SWEAR: theres a list of classes and their kind of equivalents that showed up after i decided alex would absolutely never stand this hero/sidekick bullshit shsksjsksjsksjsksjsksjs it was fun even though im yet to grasp the concept of american education(????? (listen im dumb so like if you were expecting too much from me, thats on you)

Math → Strategy

Language Arts → Heroism (morality and stuff)

Science → Mad Science

Social Studies → World History

Foreign Language → Technology (Hacking and entering 💀)

Physical Education → Combat

Electives → Save the citizen, Enhancement (like practice your own powers and stuff), Origins (of superheroes and superpowers), Teamwork (something both Alex and Henry definitely didn't take 💀), Alter-ego Management

(im not kidding when i say i pasted it verbatim to what i had in my docs, bc theres nothing more chaotic than my outlines and ramblings on any of my gdocs)

im not tagging anyone bc i just noticed it is decidedly not friday anymore but i got too excited talking about this fic akdbdksjsksjAbssjakajsncjbsksdhdjsj anyway, go and read it if you havent shkssjkssjsksjsksjs

[mocksterling]

I kinda want a DC Comics Sky High AU but like not a crossover. I just like the idea that they decided if you are a sidekick or hero from the get-go based on your powers. What would also be interesting is following characters like Kon-El who has the heritage of one of the "greatest protectors of Earth" but also the DNA of Lex Luthor. Seeing him try to hide it from everyone while also leading an age-up Jon Kent through high school would be great. He has to live up to Superman but Jon is doing that so much better than he is. Kon always falls short of Jon and Jon gets praised by Clark for it.

[honeyxmonkey]

Sky High au

Carter is Will and Douxie is Layla

Douxie "I don't believe in using my powers for violence" Casperan

And Carter "just punch it till it stops moving" Howard

[starlight-eclipsed]

With chapter 3 of Porcelain Veneer posted, I can now share Legato's design page! Ignore the part where I technically spoiled this chapter with a tiny Legato.

Below the cut are my design notes, along with some original concepts I drew a year ago when I first thought of this au. How far we've come...

It's fun to see which details I kept and which fell away in favor of other ideas.

​Fun fact! Legato was originally supposed to be confused with Linkle during Hyrule Warriors. The base concept for this au was that Legend was trying to use the Harp of Ages to visit the Chain, but he kept missing. This involved him saving baby Malon, having tea with a sorceress named Cialana, hanging out with baby Wild, crashing through Midna's window, and being a thorn in the side of Ghirahim. All with the punchline that everyone had shown up at his house the second he left.

Obviously, things didn't go the way I was expecting, but I think I'm happy with what I ended up doing :3

[jumpstrike]

@bonus-links F in the chat for ye boi

[whollyjoly]

it's gon' be a long ride home tomorrow from tennessee to texas to la well if i could i'd never leave you i'd come home to stay another night from home away from you it ain't easy i know (baby, don't you want me)

the bucktommy cowboy au nobody asked for part three (parts one and two)

thinking about rancher!tommy who goes on long two-month cattle drives and dreams of the gorgeous cattle hand back home...

(song insp.)

[drawbauchery]

WOOOW ITS BEENA MONTH SINCE I STARTED COLORING THIS FUCKING COMIC AND ITS FINALLY DONE (in reality it probably only took me about a week but I’m a chronic dilly dallyer unfortunately 💀) I did not need to do any of this please enjoy my ridiculous color symbolism and dramatic ass anime lighting

(The rest are in the next one, they wouldn’t all fit in one ask 😔. technically I could have put 10 here but I thought this was a better place to split them)

i cannot TELLLLL YOUUUU how long i've been STARING AT THIS--

[h3rmitsunited]

Backdraft: A Sky High Steddie AU

Read on Ao3

Words: 4391

Steve was sitting at the lunch table, two weeks after the start of school. Robin was rambling about something at the group of freshmen that they'd somehow adopted (or had adopted them) when he wasn't paying attention.

Not that he was really paying attention now.

His mind was buzzing, humming like the inside of a beehive, restless and agitated.

It was too loud. The enclosed cafeteria, an echoing cavern of the scraping chairs on the laminate floor, startling bursts of laughter, a plate dropping hard on a table somewhere across the room, someone too close that was chewing so loud that it set his teeth on edge.

He couldn't focus. His skin itched under the collar of his shirt and he wished it would just… stop.

Everyone was in their own world, at their own tables, the brand new shine of having Steve Harrington, the son of two of the most famous superheroes, at their school seemed to have faded enough that he finally wasn't the center of attention.

The stares had pretty much ended, once he got placed into the hero support courses and everyone realized that he wasn’t actually hiding some awesome secret powers and he was just a regular guy, they mostly left him alone. Which was good. He preferred that… for the most part. It was still lonely, but he had Robin, at least.

It was fine.

Except that itch.

Familiar. He knew what it was, that creeping feeling of someone watching him.

He rubbed absently at his neck, trying to ignore it, trying to fight that instinctual need to check his surroundings, to make sure they were safe, that he was safe, burning in his stomach. He had to know if there was a threat, even if the only thing he could do was throw a few punches, he had to be aware; always looking, always checking, locking and relocking and triple locking the doors and windows every night he spent alone in that big house of his. 

But here, in a room surrounded by people that could do incredible and amazing and terrifying things, he couldn't help feeling like that vigilance made him look weak. He knew he was powerless, everyone else knew it too, those too-loud whispers had made that extremely obvious. Spinning his head around like he was going to get murdered at any second was a great way to put a target on his back. That lesson had, at least, sunk in from his father.

Stop that shit, Steven. You make yourself look like a victim, and that's all you're ever going to be. You’re a Harrington. Act like it.


He gritted his teeth. His neck was practically on fire, the weight of whoever's gaze on his back searing into his skin. He rubbed his neck again, tensing his arm to keep his hand from shaking.

He just had to look. One glance. One second. It'd be fine.

Steve carefully grabbed the plastic fork from beside his lunch tray, making a deliberate show of 'accidentally' dropping it on the ground. He twisted back, reaching for it on the floor behind him and as he leaned back up, darted his eyes around to look for the source of that itchy glare.

He expected to have to search, that the eyes would be hidden amongst the crowd, subtle and sneaky, that whoever it was would dart their eyes away when he looked, but he found them almost immediately, the stare unflinching even as Steve caught them looking.

Hard dark eyes, tight jaw, all centered in a halo of brown curls. A set of headphones was tucked into the frizzy strands. The boy... man... guy was looking at him, no, not looking, he was glaring at him. Like right at him. His hand was clenched in front of him around something Steve couldn't make out in the couple seconds that he met his eyes. He turned away quickly, stomach twisting, throat tight.

Robin broke out in a jolting laugh next to him and he flinched harder than he expected. She turned to him with a concerned look, lowering her voice.

"You okay?"

Steve didn't know what his face looked like right now, but he felt nauseous and tense, so he was sure it wasn't great. He gave her a nod and she did not buy it for a second.

"Do you wanna go outside? Get some air?" Robin laid a careful hand on his shoulder. She'd seen enough of his panic attacks over the years that her reassurance wasn’t unfamiliar, but he didn’t want to run away from this. He knew his anxiety can make him think things are worse than they are and he needed Robin’s confirmation (even though her anxiety can be as bad as his sometimes) that the guy was actually looking at him like he wanted to rip his throat out with those ring covered fingers of his, and not just… sitting there like a normal guy and he was making something out of nothing.

He swallowed tightly and shook his head. Robin frowned. "Rob, just-“ he huffed- “Behind me, the table by the window... does it look like that guy at the end wants to murder me?" He was proud that he kept his voice steady for that entire sentence.

Robin let out a soft sigh before doing some dramatically undramatic moves of her head in an attempt to subtly look behind them. He heard her breathe in sharply before her face came back into view, looking slightly more concerned.

Steve's stomach twisted tighter. "What?"

Robin pressed his lips into a tight line, giving a stiff shrug and eyebrow raise. She shook her head, attempting to wave him off, but he could practically see her vibrating with anxiety.

"Robin, come on. You know I’m gonna start freaking out if you don’t tell me."

"It's probably... nothing. Just... maybe don't look at him... or be in the same room as him."

"Oh my god." He does want to kill him. Whoever that weirdo is, he's going to trap him in the bathroom and smash his face into the wall. "Who the hell is he?"

Robin's eyes widened slightly, and her brow furrowed. "Wait, you don't know?"

Steve huffed, leveling an irritated glance at her. "I've been here like two weeks, Robin. You know my memory is crap. I barely remember my teachers’ names."

Robin swallowed, glancing around the table. The freshmen seemed occupied in their own conversation for the moment. She lowered her voice, leaning closer. "Steve, that's… Eddie Munson."

It didn't register for a moment, and he was about to give Robin another withering glance because he literally just said his memory sucks and how is he supposed to know what some random name means, when a subconscious cramp of fear drove through his gut, and his mind involuntarily supplied the answer to the question he hadn't wanted to ask.

"Munson," he said, clenching his jaw. He could feel his lungs tighten. "Like... like Munson-Munson."

Robin gave him a sympathetic look that was too earnest to keep looking at and that was all the confirmation that he needed. He found that his plastic wrapped sandwich on the tray in front of him was much more interesting than their conversation all of a sudden.

"Eddie's his son, Steve. They have the same powers."

“Fuck,” he breathed out quietly. He tensed, fighting off the shudder that threatened to pass over his whole body. He squeezed his eyes closed, but the flicker of flames flashed behind his eyelids, and he had to snap them open again.

Not in the middle of the cafeteria. Not here. Not now. He shook his head.

“Steve, maybe we should-“

"Why the fuck is he looking at me like that? It's not like I was the one that got his dad locked up!" He tried to keep his voice low, but his anxiety was spiking and the freshmen across the table looked over with confused expressions.

"Who's looking at you?" Dustin, one of the freshmen, now apparently caught onto something more interesting happening, asked, too loud, perking his head up. If Steve wasn't falling into a pit of panic, he'd laugh at how much he looked like a little meerkat from those nature documentaries, his head searching the lunch tables around them for danger.

Robin shushed him, waving a hand out in front of her. Dustin's question got the attention of the rest of the little freshmen who all darted their curious wide eyes up too, and now there were more eyes on Steve, much more than he would prefer when he feels like he's two seconds away from running for the door.

"Wait, what’s going on? Whose dad did you get locked- oh shit! Wait, that guy? Is that the guy looking at you? The one with the hair? Shit, what the hell?" The other loud one, Mike, who Steve finds gets on his nerves a little more than the others, the kid a little bit too excited about how awesome it is that he got his powers the day before school (then deflated a bit when the rest of his friends weren't as impressed that he could just... kind of glow... but only when it's dark and you have to cup your hands around him to see it well). He couldn't blame him that much for the excitement. He remembered how that anticipation felt, waiting and waiting as the rest of your friends presented and then you keep waiting, and nothing. Steve had just… kept waiting, and that anticipation faded into cold resignation.

"Mike, shut up!" Dustin clapped his hand over Mike's face, tugging him back down into their seats, their voices joining with the other freshmen at the table, questions frantically aimed at him like loud, overwhelming arrows. Steve could still feel the heat on his neck and ground his teeth together harder.

"All of you shut up!" Robin hissed, exasperated. “Jesus, where did you guys even come from!? Swear to god, someone fed you gremlins past your bedtime.”

“No, but who is he though? Why does he look like he wants to kill you?" Mike kept talking and Robin opened her mouth to scold him again when Steve waved a hand, rubbing his other hand over his neck again.

"Probably because he wants to finish the job,” he said wryly.

Robin lightly slapped his arm, glaring at him. "Steve. No. It's probably... a misunderstanding... I'm sure that's not-"

"Misunderstanding,” Steve breathed out sarcastically. “Robin, his dad tried to burn me alive in my house. I made it out, and now his dad is serving like ten life sentences. I probably fucked his entire life up!"

Robin's frown deepened and she squeezed the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You... Oh my god, Steve. You were nine years old... and his dad... Tried. To. Kill. YOU." She emphasized each word as she spoke with a poke in the chest. "And not just you! He burned like a whole neighborhood, and all those car fires? Remember? None of that was on you." She huffed, glancing behind them again before turning with her lips pressed into a tight line. "I’ll kill your parents, I swear to God,” she muttered under her breath. “Just... maybe try to avoid… you know… any interactions with the guy. Okay?"

Steve huffed.

That was not what he wanted to do. Not by any means.

Ignore the problem. Avoid the confrontation.

Just like every time his parents ‘graced’ him with their presence, and he’d spend the entire few days walking on eggshells, trying not to step on those passive aggressive landmines they left strewn across the floor.

He’d found recently that it was a relief when he finally blew one up and the inevitable argument broke out. At least, then, he knew what it was he did that pissed them off, even if most of the time it was just the fact that he existed, and they hadn’t figured out a way to just… magic him into disappearing. Though he wasn't entirely convinced that they hadn't tried.

So, no. He didn't want to just wait. Wasn’t going to tiptoe past Munson Jr. to avoid getting burned. He wanted to punch first.

And that irritating itch on his neck agreed.

As though Robin could read his mind, she grabbed his shoulder, narrowing his eyes. "Steve, I mean it. This isn't going to be like your stupid private school. You start picking fights here, it's not going to end well. And need I remind you that Eddie has fire powers… just like his dad?" She gave him a pointed look.

Steve plastered on an innocent expression. "I know, Rob. I'm not going to do anything, okay?" He was lying. He was sure she knew he was lying too. But he couldn’t help himself, never could really, even with the curling pit of fear in his gut at the reminder of what Eddie could do, those flames that flickered behind his eyes every time he closed them, he had to do something.

Robin glared, pressing her lips together tightly. She went back to eating the rest of her lunch, eyeing him every few minutes like she was expecting him to jump up and run straight over to Munson right in the middle of the cafeteria. Sure, he was a little stupid, but not that stupid.

After a few more minutes, her eyes caught on the clock across the room and she groaned. "Shit, I forgot I need to stop by Vickie's locker to grab something before class." She eyed Steve again carefully, jabbing his shoulder. "Seriously, dingus. I mean it. Leave it alone." She pointed to the freshmen across the table. "Keep an eye on him, will you? I'm half of his impulse control."

Steve laughed, rolling his eyes. "Oh no, don't pull that shit, Buckley. I've seen you eat a sandwich off the floor."

Robin groaned dramatically. "Five seconds, Steve. That's the rule! How many times do I have to tell you!?" She gave him a fond grin, ruffling a hand through his hair, before running off, disappearing through the double doors and into the hallway.

Steve turned back to his sandwich, his stomach still too upset to think about eating, but found Dustin staring intently at him, the others watching too, but with a tad more subtlety.

"So... how come his dad tried to kill you?"

Steve rolled his eyes, picking at the plastic wrap around his sandwich. "You buttheads are going to be insufferable about this aren't you?"

"Oh, come on! You can't just drop details like that in the middle of a conversation and not elaborate!"

Steve leveled him with a glare. Dustin met his gaze with equal intensity. It was strange... these kids... he wasn't exactly sure if he'd somehow walked unwittingly into a curse that just attached him to them when he walked into the doors, but one second he was trailing next to Robin as she led the way into the school, showing him to the orientation area, and the next he had little leeches attached to him at the hip, just glomming onto him and his best friend like they'd been there his whole life. It was strangely... nice. He'd basically just had Robin the past several years, no siblings, absent parents, so he was getting used to having people around him, filling up that empty hollow silence that usually surrounded him.

What wasn't so nice, was the little annoying things picking and prodding at his stupid fucking trauma crap.

"I can. I will. I did. You want details, look it up yourself. It was all over the fucking news."

The quiet one with the unfortunate haircut, Will, perked up a little at the end of the table. "Arson, right? That was what they called him?"

Steve looked back at him, tightening his jaw, but didn't say anything. 

"Sorry. I just... I remember… the neighborhood he burned down… it was right next to mine."

"Wait, was that the same guy?" Mike asked Will quietly. Will shrugged, eyeing Steve carefully. It made him feel like he was under a microscope.

And he couldn't breathe.

He pushed back from the table, his chair screeching across the floor so loud it sent a crawl up his spine. He decidedly did not look behind him again, ignoring the itch on his neck.

Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

"Steve?" Dustin asked, cautiously.

Steve waved him off, shaking his head. "I'm good. Just gonna get some air before class. Finish your lunch. You need the protein. For your bones or some shit…" He didn't look, didn't meet any of their eyes as he practically ran for the doors, ignoring Dustin shouting something about calcium and leaving his lunch behind on the table. The hallway was blessedly quieter than the cacophony of the cafeteria, but the air still felt too heavy, and the walls were drawing in closer around him. He could see the doors to outside ahead, but each step, they seemed to get further and further away.

He felt like he was suffocating. Like there were hands wrapping around his neck, the smell of cigarettes and fire and a looming face, grinning with nicotine stained teeth, his lungs filling with smoke, the steady thump-thump of his heart slowing to a stop in his chest.

Not here. Not now. You’re okay. You’re okay, Steve. Just fucking breathe, you stupid fucking- Come on!

He gasped wildly, hands reaching for something solid that wasn't there, slamming his back up against the hard wall behind him, sinking to the ground and curling his head into his knees.

He couldn't breathe. He was going to die here. Pathetic and alone because he can't fucking catch a single breath in his goddamn lungs and it was the third fucking day of school and Dean Munson's fucking son was going to murder him or maybe he wasn't because he was just going to die out here next to this stupid dumpster behind the school and he couldn't-

"You good, man?"

Speak of the fucking devil himself.

He choked on a strangled scream, knocking his head into the brick wall behind him. It’d probably hurt more if he could actually get his brain to work, but all he could focus on was the figure in front of him.

Eddie Munson, standing with the sun silhouetted behind his back, frowning down at him like he wasn't just trying to glare him into ashes in the middle of the cafeteria.

He could play this cool, as cool as he could after having screamed and smashed his head back into a wall, act like he wasn't losing his mind in the middle of a panic attack, like the idea of this guy getting close to him didn't send his skin itching like it was covered in hives.

He could, except he really couldn’t because he felt like a cornered rabid animal, and his fight or flight response had always leaned heavily towards fight.

Steve bit into his cheek hard enough that he tasted blood, glaring hard up at the man looming over him. He was shaking, his blunt fingernails digging into his palms. Munson frowned, tugging the headphones off his ears, leaving them curled around his neck. He took a step forward, holding a hand out.

"Seriously, dude, are you-"

"I'm fine! Just… don’t!" Steve ground out and flinched away, watching Munson's hand, tracking it’s every movement. He knew what Arson could do, the snap of his fingers calling the fire into his hand. As long as Munson kept his fingers apart, as long as he kept watching those wrists for the briefest twitch of his muscles, he had a chance. He could fight back.

Steve’s hands clenched into fists. He just needed the right moment. Once Munson gave him an opening, he leap up and... do something. Tackle him… punch him…maybe grab him by the hair and drag him to the ground, pull his wrists behind his back, threaten him into submission so that he’d know that Steve wasn’t going to lay down and take it from him. The urge itched violently under his skin. Munson drew his hand back slowly, and Steve felt like he was going to pass out, like his entire body was sinking into the cement, like he'd fall through the hovering platform the school was on and go hurtling a mile down to the ground below.

Munson took a step back, holding up his hands defensively. "Sorry." He furrowed his brows, shaking his head. "Sorry," he said softer the second time. Steve's vision was swimming, but he thought he saw a flicker of remorse on the other boy's face. "I can… I can get someone for you?” Steve bristled at having someone else see him like this, and Munson must have noticed because he shook his head. “Okay, no. I guess… I'll go. Sorry."

Munson started to back away, his fingers twitching at the sides of his pants, like he didn't really want to leave Steve like this. Steve watched him, his breath still caught in his lungs, heart pounding like he'd just run a marathon.

What the hell was this guy's problem? He'd looked like he wanted to murder him back inside and now he was acting like he was... something... worried? He set his plan for violence aside for the moment, now his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Why were you staring at me?" Steve choked out, hands shaking. He gritted his teeth as he watched Munson freeze, his brown eyes sharpening.

"What?"

Steve panted, waving a hand at the doors to the school. "I saw you. In the cafeteria. You were staring at me... like you were two seconds from stabbing me with a plastic fork or something."

Munson’s brows furrowed and his eyes darted to the doors, like he was worried they'd burst open any second. He'd had plenty of time to finish him off, take care of the job his father hadn't seen the end of. Nobody was out here. Just the two of them.

He hadn’t though. Which was… odd.

Steve shoved the panic down and forced himself up off the ground. He was pretty much an expert at repressing his emotions, had joked to Robin a few times that it was actually his superpower (she hadn't found it as funny as he did). His legs were still shaking, his chest protesting at each forceful breath, but, at least, he was standing. At least he could get a thought through his head for a second.

Munson took another step back. Steve couldn't get a read on his expression. He frowned, his eyes darkening before giving a stiff shake of his head.

Then, he huffed a laugh, a looseness taking over his body. "I wasn't..." He slipped a finger under the headphones around his neck, pulling them up enough to point them out to Steve. "I was listening to a tape, spaced out a bit. I guess my buddies do say I have… resting murder face.” He leveled his expression back into the intimidating look he was wearing in the cafeteria before breaking into a small smile. “Keeps most of the assholes away, though,” he said with a shrug. “I freak you out?"

Steve swallowed, letting out a shaky breath. The pounding in his head seemed to be getting quieter. "So, you... y-you weren't staring at me?"

Munson laughed again. "No need to pout so much, big boy. You got my attention anyways."

Steve ground his teeth together in his mouth, running his hands over his forearms, the itching under his skin still making him want to do something reckless and violent, not wanting him to buy Munson’s explanation. He took a steadying breath, forcing the urge down deeper and gave Munson a stiff nod, staring at the ground to avoid having to look at his face. He hoped that he would just leave now, let Steve process whatever the fuck all this was by punching the dumpster a few times by himself.

Seemed luck wasn’t on his side today, though.

Munson took a step closer, and Steve could see him reach his hand out before he stopped and drew it back again, clenching it in and out of a fist at his side. It was a familiar action to Steve and he wondered if Munson might have that same itch under his skin.

"I really didn't mean anything by it. Alright? I know I look like a shithead... I mean I am, but not a murder shithead… just like… a regular metalhead nerdy shithead,” Munson said with a soft smile. It looked nothing like what he could remember of Arson, and it eased that remaining panic in his chest. Munson held his hand out. "We cool?"

Steve bit his lip, drawing in a deep breath before sighing and taking Munson’s hand, giving it a firm shake.

It was warm, not like fire, not searing and painful and burning, but gentle and comforting, like the mug of tea he’d make himself in the middle of the night after waking from another nightmare. Steve could feel rough patches on his fingertips, the skin pressing into his so different from the smooth softness of Robin's hands, or even his own hands.

"I'm Eddie, by the way,” he said, his expression soft.

Steve gave a hesitant smile, not thinking before he spoke.

He should have. He should have realized when Eddie introduced himself that he didn't know who he was, hadn't made the connection. But he didn’t and he opened his stupid mouth.

"Uh, Steve. I'm Steve... Harrington."

Eddie’s eyes went wide and he tensed up immediately. Steve yelped and let out a pained hiss as their connected hands suddenly burst into flames.

"Ow, fuck!" His palm was already red and throbbing when he yanked his hand back, drawing it into his chest protectively. He darted his eyes quickly back up and Eddie was already back at the stairs, tearing open the doors with one hand, the other hand covered in a flame that was licking up his forearm. He didn't look back and let the door slam shut behind him.

Steve gritted his teeth, wincing at his burned hand, and giving a shake of his head before walking back inside.

[darrenpeace]

Ever hear the theory that the Homecoming attack was like, a weird disaster drill the school was putting on, with upperclassmen playing the villains? Kinda funny to think about, but I don't think it holds up. Like, if the school put it together, was robbing Will's house strictly necessary? And where'd they dig up the real Stitches from if the teen villains were just acting?

Yep, I’ve heard about it! It was posted by @thelemonzone42 (cannot tag bc they blocked me) and I remember them texting it to me in dm.

Well, it’s a great fun headcanon/AU or something kinda conspiracy theory, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant in the movie. Like, yeah, it explains some things, but doesn’t others.

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

-> ovc2023 - day three : | another version of us |

ft. jake // ronnie + some select members of the au hoard

[casually-salad]

although birds may fly freely, the pegasi do not. they stay grounded, remaining confined to their home which has been turned into a prison. those who dare to disobey are treated like a war criminal and have the one thing that let them be in the sky's city taken away. though some face a crueler fate...

They all pray for different things, but only one can come true, what makes them think theyre more worthy of divine intervention than the rest?

ALSO i majorly messed up the coloring on one of the panels with highwinds. so the 2nd and 3rd panel are supposed to be Surprise talking not her

[givingairtomymouth]

I've hardly seen anyone address the fact that Warren Peace literally speaks chinese...

My cute and sad headcanon is that, when he was younger and his father went to jail, he just started working to help his mother out. Probably that restaurant was the only one that allowed him to work that early. The woman we see there was actually a sort of auntie figure for him, helping, supporting and teaching him the language. Also, in my head, she has a son who works as a chef for the restaurant and he's Warren best friend... like that man needs a bro in his life.