#story; the release of the friendship thunderstorm

[jo-harrington]

Team Building (Eddie Munson x Store Manager!Reader)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Summary: No one does Halloween quite like the Hellfire Club, and you just so happened to have promised to join them.

Previous Part: Closing Time

Warnings/Themes: AU where the Upside Down doesn't terrorize Hawkins. Reader works at the Claire's at StarCourt. Eddie works at TapeWorld. Mutual Pining and Slow Burn, Fluffy Fluff, Trick or Treating

Note: HAPPY HALLOWEEN and welcome back to the Store Manager Verse. I actually wanted to be further along with my chronological releases but it just never happened. This one is definitely probably one of the best timed releases with the holiday but there's a minor note that there's...maybe a reference to a yet-to-be published installation of the story. Eddie and SM are gonna be going on a little road trip at some point and will meet some of SM's family. DONT EVEN WORRY ABOUT IT FOR NOW. Just enjoy the shenanigans.

You can find my masterlist here for more featuring our resident Store Manager and all of my other writing.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

---

"You look cute today."

"Thanks!"

"You need to look less cute next week. We're doing zombies, remember?"

"Got it."

Every day.

"Did you pick up that fake blood from Melvalds like you promised?"

"Yeah it's at home."

"Ok great because...because I was a little afraid you were gonna forget about our plans."

"Don't worry Eddie."

He reminded you every day.

"Ok so we're meeting at Gareth's at 4 on Thursday."

"Alright I'll be there."

"No, uh, glitter makeup? We're going for realism. Shock and awe."

"I swear to god!"

Every day for an entire week, whether he was scheduled to work or not, Eddie showed up at Star Court to remind you that you had promised to go Trick or Treating with him and his friends.

It was cute endearing.

October--and more specifically Halloween--was one of your favorite times of the year at work. It was laid back and fun. No pressure from either Back to School or the Holiday rush, you could "dress up" with little costume pieces or fun makeup every day, and you could have a bowl of candy at the cash wrap that made everyone's day a little bit brighter.

And outside of work, you'd really embraced the season.

Correction, Eddie made you embrace the season.

Before moving to Hawkins, Halloween had always been incredibly...commercial. Costumes and decorations from the little seasonal aisle at the drugstore. The biggest display of candy at the grocery store that you needed to stock up on unless you wanted your house egged.

And your social life consisted, mainly, of outings with your coworkers. Pumpkin patches and haunted hayrides almost always became team building activities. That wasn't to say your coworkers--new and old--weren't your friends too.

But with Eddie...it was different.

A harvest festival outside of Muncie, horror movies late at night during a thunderstorm, warm apple cider at Merrill's Farm while looking for gourds that were shaped like your heads. Pumpkin carving on the porch at the trailer, cutting out bats and cats from black construction paper, and now Trick or Treating with his friends.

You thought, early on in your friendship, that it was just some throw away comment. But knowing him as well as you did now, you realized that he really meant everything he said.

Every promise was purposeful, especially when it came to the people he cared about. Which was why you were sure he was determined to make the night perfect. Not only for you, but for everyone.

Especially the handful of little sheep that were newcomers to Hellfire.

"The freshman," he explained on Sunday as you worked on your costumes together. "They're little turds but...I dunno, they have potential."

You'd already heard about them at the beginning of the year as Eddie gushed about his new recruits; younger brothers that Eddie sort of always wished for but was thankful he didn't actually have.

"They're not gonna think I'm some like...weird old person right?" you laughed self-consciously, thinking back to Jeff's comment when you said you wouldn't buy them beer. And sure you were not that much older than Eddie, but you were sure you were ancient to a bunch of 14-year olds.

"You're the coolest person I know. And I'm the coolest person they know."

"You saw how my brother is though," you waved your hand dismissively. Jimmy's words--who would have guessed your boyfriend's not lame like you--wouldn't stop echoing in your head though.

Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend.

Eddie still wasn't your boyfriend.

They must have echoed in Eddie's too because his cheeks flushed and he immediately became bashful. He ducked his head into his shoulder a little bit and refused to meet your eyes as he hacked away at the sleeves of the old flannel in his hands.

"Your brother," he finally replied, "is a little turd too. I'm sure the kids will worship you. More than they worship me. I promise. Everything will be alright."

---

Before you knew it, Thursday rolled around.

You were running late to get to the Emerson's to get ready thanks to a last minute visit from your DM. Who knew that pictures of you and your team for the company-issued costume contest would take so long?

Still, to save time, you decided not to change costumes until you got to the house. Seeing as Eddie had grand plans for everyone's face paint to make them look as close to Day of the Dead as possible, you figured you would be fine.

However, you were not expecting the entire gaggle of boys to stare at you with stars in their eyes as you stepped out of your car, duffle bag full of torn old clothes and gallon of fake blood in-hand, done up like a glam metal superstar.

Or as close to it as you could get with the accessories you carried at the store. Rainbow hair extensions and glitter spray, layers of chain jewelry, and too much cheetah print.

"You," Eddie began as he pushed through the group to get to you. His face was already a ghastly pallor thanks to a layer of facepaint from melvalds, exactly as he had envisioned. "Are a traitor and a turncoat, a disgrace to the uniform, and your status as Corroded Coffin's number one fan."

"I've literally never heard you guys play," you rolled your eyes at him.

"Did my lesson about the different types of metal mean nothing to you?" he clutched a hand over his heart and then reached out and fiddled with your jewelry. "And didn't I say no glitter."

"I just need to use the bathroom to wash it all off. Then you can make me gross and moldy like you."

"It's not mold. It's rot. Get it right." You flipped him off and he grinned. "Hey sweetheart."

"Hi."

"Nice of you to finally join us."

Eddie threw an arm around your shoulders and led you into the garage. You said hi to Jeff, Gareth, and Dave, and then he introduced you to the sheep.

Mike and Lucas and Dustin and Will.

They were all a little bashful as Eddie went down the line; it was reminiscent of when you met the others, except less fun facts and more silly tidbits meant to embarrass the kids.

Will the Wise whose worst stat was intelligence. Dustin who had a girlfriend in Utah--

"She's real, I swear."

--Mike who had already gone through two new characters because he couldn't roll to save his life. Literally. And Lucas who liked sports.

"Oh my god," you scoffed at Eddie. “You make it sound like sports are a scourge."

"They are."

"You like hockey."

"I," Eddie paused. "Tolerate hockey."

You grinned triumphantly and said hello to each of the boys before ducking into the house to get changed.

"Dude, she is way out of your league." you could hear Mike whine, followed by a dull thud of a fist hitting an arm.

"That's what we've been telling him the whole time," Dave cackled.

---

Eddie and Will were the masterminds behind the zombification process--bickering back and forth about what scar went where and how gross that pus should look as they applied facepaint--but all the boys tossed in their creative input.

"Oh my god, do you still have that rubber eyeball from lunch? We can glue it to Jeff's hand."

"What if--don't touch my hair--what if we--don't touch my hair."

"More blood! More! MORE!"

Before you knew it, two hours had passed, it was dark out and gaggles of Trick-or-Treaters were already filling the streets. Gareth's mom had set herself up on the porch with a bowl full of fun-sized candy and wished you all farewell as you took off down the sidewalk.

A veritable hoard of the undead, with ripped clothes, foaming mouths, blood-soaked hands, and pillowcases to double as treat bags.

To your surprise, there was a lot more to Trick or Treating than you had initially thought. All your childhood, you'd just gone door to door for a few blocks, rang a bell, got some candy, and at the end of the night traded treats with your brothers or your friends.

To Hellfire, it was just as involved as any of their DnD campaigns. And it's how you learned more about each of the boys, and surprisingly, more about their fearless leader.

Lucas and Mike were the perfect strategists and, as you began your trek, listed off neighborhoods that gave the best candy. You got the in-depth analysis between full-size and fun-size candies, chocolate versus peanut butter versus nougat, and you made a mental note to be more mindful of the choices you put out at the cash wrap for next year.

Dustin and Eddie were the navigators mentally mapping the distances between each neighborhood and how quickly and efficiently the group could get around.

"We should have just taken the van," Eddie scoffed when Dustin suggested Loch Nora first, the furthest trek of the night.

"No, then we'll end up back at Gareth's by 10. We just need to walk fast, it'll be perfect."

"And my mom is making a casserole for dinner," Gareth piped up. "She said you're all welcome to stay."

"Why don't we end at my place," Mike suggested. "We can just hang out in the basement and my mom will order pizza."

"No one wants to sleep in your dusty ass basement Wheeler," Dave scoffed.

"We're definitely skipping school tomorrow," Eddie pointed at all of the kids. "I hope you all know that."

Dave and Jeff, much to your surprise, were the "war generals" as they so graciously called themselves. They had a few rolls of toilet paper and a carton of eggs tucked away in their pillowcases, in case they came across--

"The enemies!!!" The older boys hollered into the starry night sky, quickly earning glares from other kids and parents as they passed.

"And who would that be?" you asked. The entire group looked at you like you'd grown a second head. "I'm sorry I'm not well-versed in Halloween mischief."

"Oh it's gonna be fun corrupting you." Eddie laughed wickedly, and started ticking off examples on his fingers. "People who tell us we're too old to trick or treat."

"I thought you said no one cared!" you exclaimed.

"Most people," he clarified, "don't care. But someone called the cops on us. What was it? Last year? Year before?" He looked at the older boys for confirmation.

"Mrs. Peterson who likes to sic her dogs on the kids who get too close to her rose bushes," Lucas offered next.

"If someone has their porch light on, but doesn't answer the door."

"When someone gives raisins instead of candy," Will supplied, ignoring Dustin's quiet, I like raisins.

The list went on: people who made fun of their costumes, the one house where the guy sat on his porch and douse kids with "holy water" for engaging in devilry.

"And Jason Carver," Eddie finished with a flourish.

They all looked at you for some kind of objection...or maybe your approval? You weren't too sure.

But at your soft nod, they all whooped and hollered and a few of the younger boys even took off running so they could jump and scare some of the kids who were just minding their own business.

"See?" Eddie asked and grabbed your hand in his as you followed at the back of the group. "And you were afraid they were gonna think you were some gross old lady. They're trying to impress you."

"Impress is a stretch."

"Ah ah ah," he shook his head. "I will hear none of it. I told them all that they were to be on their best worst behavior. Make sure you have the best time. That they are mere peasants here to serve the Queen of the Undead."

You let his hand go and pushed him away from you, even though your heart beat a little faster knowing he wanted them to behave around you.

"Go before I gnaw on your brains."

"You promise?" he waggled his eyebrows at you suggestively.

"Go!"

---

It was an eventful night.

You moaned and groaned and shuffled your way across Hawkins, just like the zombies in Romero's movies, to get all sorts of sweet treats. Candy and popcorn and fresh-dipped caramel apples that someone was making in their yard in Loch Nora.

The group successfully TP'd one house, and you'd even personally egged someone's front door after they called the gang delinquents. You were not athletic in the slightest, but you hit your target dead on, and basked in the boy's gleeful war cries.

You were grateful for Eddie's suggestion of sneakers because you'd walked more in those 4 hours than you had during any Black Friday or Christmas Eve double shift in your entire career. You were sure even a day at Disneyland couldn't hold a candle to the Hellfire Club Whistle Stop Walking Candy Tour of Hawkins.

The boys all took to calling you mom pretty early in the night after you stopped Jeff from chomping into a handful of starbursts.

"Your braces," you reminded him, motioning to your teeth. "You're gonna snap a wire; you hate the orthodontist."

He groaned and all of the boys started snickering. Eddie, of course, was quick to shame him.

"Listen to your mother!"

And the nickname just stuck.

Of course Mike--who you noticed tried to emulate Eddie most out of the group of freshman--had a retort.

"If she's mom," he said smugly. "Does that mean you're dad?"

The boys all started making kissy faces and you had to laugh as Eddie got a little flustered.

After watching him flounder for a comeback, you decided to help him out, so you crossed the distance and pressed a quick peck to his cheek before you turned and shook your finger at the boys in a disappointed way.

"Next person to sass your father," you started. "And you're all grounded." They all looked a mixture of confused and worried for a second.

"What does that mean?" Lucas asked nervously.

"It means you start the next session with half of your hit points," Eddie finally recovered, voice growling in a threat. The boys all clammed up and turned to head to the next house.

"Sorry about them," he shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Nah, it's ok," you smiled reassuringly. "They meant well. Still...til death do us part, I guess."

You both froze and you started panicking.

Why had you said that?

Still, Eddie was able to make it all better. He shuffled his feet and cracked a smile, then gestured to your costumes.

"Or uh...undeath. Considering."

Still, you had butterflies in your stomach every time one of the boys called you mom and dad for the rest of the night.

---

By the time 10 rolled around, you were back at the Emerson's house. Gareth's mom greeted you all excitedly with sodas and plates of hot buffalo chicken casserole with crispy tater tots on top, and you all sat in the garage to eat and divvy up your haul.

"So," Eddie slumped on the sofa next to you at some point after dinner was finished. You were tiredly watching Lucas and Dave argue the merits of Three Musketeers versus Milky Way and glad for the distraction. "Did you have fun?"

"Of course."

"Enough to do it again next year?"

"Is this your way of telling me you guys trick or treat every year?" you joked. "Because I kind of picked up on those hints all night."

"More like...I don't know," he sniffed awkwardly. "You still planning to be my friend next year?"

"Stop asking me that," you hit the back of your hand against his chest. "If I got to see you be a big dork with your gaggle of kindergarteners--"

"Hey!" came Will and Mike's whine from a few feet away.

"--and I'm still here, nothing's gonna scare me away Eddie."

He grabbed your hand to stop you from hitting him again, but stayed silent for a moment, eyes darting back and forth between yours as his tongue worried his lip.

You got nervous the longer he hesitated to say something, and once he did, you had the sneaking suspicion it wasn't exactly what he'd really wanted to say in the first place.

You hoped it wasn't what he wanted to say. Hoped it was just something he couldn't say in front of his friends.

"Then you don't mind if we do Alien next year. And before you say anything, I think I would make a great Ripley. I already have the hair for it and I'm pretty sure I have that same underwear."

"Sure Eddie," you agreed a little stiffly. "Sounds perfect."

He smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes.

Still, the two of you stayed huddled together on that couch for the rest of the night, surrounded by friends.

Hands held comfortably together.

Next Part: Promotion

[baniigattsuu]

100 REASONS TO STAY ALIVE:

1. to make your friends proud

2. to conquer your fears

3. to see your favourite artist live

4. to listen to music

5. to experience a new culture

6. to meet new people

7. to inspire

8. to have your own children

9. to adopt your own pet

10. to make yourself proud

11. to meet your idols

12. to laugh until you cry

13. to feel tears of happiness

14. to eat your favorite food

15. to see your siblings grow

16. to pass school

17. to get a tattoo

18. to smile until your cheeks hurt

19. to meet your internet friends

20. to find someone who loves you like you deserve

21. to eat ice cream on a hot day

22. to drink hot chocolate on a cold day

23. to see untouched snow in the morning

24. to see a sunset that sets the sky on fire

25. to see stars that light up the sky

26. to read a book that changes your life

27. to see the first flowers in the spring

28. to travel abroad

29. to learn a new language

30. to learn to draw

31. to tell others your story in the hopes of helping and inspiring them

32. puppy kisses

33. kitten kisses

34. swear words, and the release you feel saying them

35. trampolines

36. stargazing

37. cloud watching

38. taking a shower and then sleeping in clean sheets

39. receiving thoughtful gifts

40. "i saw this and i thought of you"

41. the feeling you get when someone says "i love you"

42. the relief you feel after crying

43. sunshine

44. the feeling you get when someone is listening to you / giving you their full attention

45. your future wedding

46. your favorite candy

47. new clothes

48. completing goals / a milestone

49. the kinds of dreams when you wake up and can't stop smiling

50. the sound of rain

51. the feeling you get when you're dancing

52. the people who mean the most to you

53. trying out new recipes

54. the feeling you get when your favourite song comes on the radio

55. the rush you feel when you step into a concert

56. sharing your voice, talents and knowledge with the world because they're so valuable

57. breakfast in bed

58. forgiveness

59. fireflies

60. birthdays

61. realizing that someone loves you

62. spending the day with someone you love

63. eating a whole pint of your favorites ice cream

64. floating on your back in warm water, staring at the sky and thinking

65. first dates (even the bad ones make for funny stories!)

66. bonfires n smores

67. coming home to someone you love

68. singing at the top of your lungs with your friends (or on your own!)

69. cuddling

70. being wrapped up in a warm bed

71. someone's skin against yours

72. holding hands

73. road trips

74. spontaneous adventures

75. the feeling when the ocean wave rolls up and envelops your toes and ankles

76. peaceful thunderstorms

77. trips to disneyworld

78. the child-like feeling you get on christmas morning

79. the day when everything finally goes your way

80. compliments and praise

81. making someone laugh

82. taking care of yourself

83. sleepovers

84. waking up on summer mornings

85. creating

86. therapy

87. feeling like reality is finally better than dreams

88. relationships

89. friendships

90. good hair days

91. feeling confident, like you can openly be yourself

92. creating ambitions and aspirations

93. putting yourself first

94. memes and funny jokes

95. writing

96. aesthetics / visuals

97. learning to love yourself

98. falling back in love with living

99. feeling genuinely at peace with yourself

100. looking back at this moment in the future and thinking "i made it"

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for March 22

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for March 22 include Dragon’s Dogma 2, Late Night With The Devil, WE DON’T TRUST YOU, and more.

Late Night With The Devil

Late Night With The Devil, the new movie from Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes, is out today.

A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.

Arthur the King

Arthur the King, the new movie from Simon Cellan Jones, is out today.

Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. Based on an incredible true story, ARTHUR THE KING follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes (Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.

Dad & Step-Dad

Dad & Step-Dad, the new movie from Tynan DeLong, is out today.

“Dad & Step-Dad” is a slow-burn, character-driven comedy that follows Jim and Dave on a weekend together at a cabin upstate to bond with their 13-year-old son, Branson. Tensions mount however as differing parenting techniques come to the fore.

Exhuma

Exhuma, the new movie from Jae-hyun Jang, is out today.

When a renowned shaman (KIM Go-Eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) are hired by a wealthy, enigmatic family, they begin investigating the cause of a disturbing supernatural illness that affects only the first-born children of each generation. With the help of a knowledgeable mortician (YOO Hai-jin) and the country’s most revered geomancer (CHOI Min-sik), they soon trace the affliction’s origin to a long-hidden family grave located on sacred ground. Sensing an ominous aura surrounding the burial site, the team opts to exhume and relocate the ancestral remains immediately. But as something much darker emerges, they soon discover what befalls those who dare to mess with the wrong grave.

Femme

Femme, the new movie from Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, is out today.

Jules’ life and career as a drag queen is destroyed by a homophobic attack. But when he re-encounters his attacker, the deeply-closeted Preston, in a gay sauna, he is presented with a chance to exact revenge. Unrecognisable out of his wig and make-up, Jules infiltrates Preston’s life, and in doing so, discovers power in a different kind of drag…

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the new movie from Gil Kenan, is out today.

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an army of ghosts that casts a death chill upon the city, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

Immaculate

Immaculate, the new movie from Michael Mohan, is out today.

Sydney Sweeney stars as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.

You’ll Never Find Me

You’ll Never Find Me, the new movie from Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell, is out today.

A thunderstorm brings a mysterious woman to Patrick’s isolated mobile home. As the night unfolds, secrets and realities blur. Will she be able to leave? Or is something darker keeping her there?

The American Society Of Magical Negroes

The American Society Of Magical Negroes, the new movie from Kobi Libii, is out today.

For centuries, there has been a society hidden in plain sight, working in secret to protect Black people from harm. It’s called THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES.

Davey & Jonesie’s Locker

Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, the new TV series from Evany Rosen, is out today.

The original series follows Davey and Jonesie, two lovably eccentric best friends who have always felt out of step with their peers and the banal backdrop of their high school existence. So, when they discover their locker is actually a portal to the multiverse, they’re more than ready to escape their teenage prison of mediocrity in favor of new horizons. But the joke is on them when they only end up in bizarre, alternate versions of their high school, surrounded by offbeat versions of their classmates. Fortunately, these audacious and creative besties are ready to make the most of this vacation from reality by leaving their mark on every universe they visit… even if it means choosing interdimensional chaos while they’re at it. Worth it for the vibes.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2, the new game from Capcom, is out today.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more - in a truly immersive fantasy world.

Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin, the new game from Team Ninja and Sony Interactive Entertainment, is out today.

Japan, 1863. After three centuries of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s reign, the Black Ships of the West descend upon the nation’s borders and the country falls into a state of turmoil. Amidst the chaos of war, disease and political unrest, a nameless warrior forges their own path, holding the very fate of Japan in their hands.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

Princess Peach: Showtime!, the new game from Nintendo, is out today.

The wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch have taken over the Sparkle Theater, and now it’s up to Peach and the theater’s guardian Stella to save the play––and the day!

Bears In Space

Bears In Space, the new game from Broadside Games and Ravenscourt, is out today.

Unleash your inner bear in this over-the-top bullet-hell FPS! Embark on a zany retro-futuristic adventure and destroy oil-thirsty robots with an outrageous arsenal. Transform into a bear, wield unique powers, and embrace the absurd fast-paced action of Bears in Space!

WE DON’T TRUST YOU

WE DON’T TRUST YOU, the new album from Future and Metro Boomin, is out today.

Mika’s Laundry

Mika’s Laundry, the new album from Matt Champion, is out today.

[digitalgate02]

Daisuke and V-mon decide what to do regarding the new enemies, but they find themselves having to fight alone against one of the bad guy's troops. During the fight, something interesting happens...! Also Mimi and Gummymon (in Terriermon form) are there, but unconscious!?

[another Hinode drabble, yeah...]

[leiawritesstories]

I've been playing with a prompt idea in my head, which could have all the fluff you want. Also it's not as much a prompt, as it is one sentence 😅 do as you wish with it, you always create magic with whatever you write ❤

"There's nothing like a natural disaster to bring two people together"

first of all, thank you so much, it made me tear up to know that someone enjoys my little stories this much ❤️❤️❤️

but enough sappiness! here have a lil fic!

word count: 2,324

warnings: language, idiots in love, thunderstorms

enjoy!!

Thanks To The Thunderstorm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There’s nothing quite like a natural disaster to bring two people together. 

And gods, Aelin had never thought she’d be thankful that she hated thunderstorms as much as she did. But it was her relationship with storms that had led to her relationship with her now-fiancé, so would she complain? Hell no. 

Rowan and Aelin had been best friends since high school, the two of them near inseparable after they were assigned to be conversation partners in Spanish class and struck up a friendship. They had very different life goals but ended up deciding to go to the same university, the University of Rifthold, and neither of them knew the other had decided to go there until college declaration day at their school, when they both showed up wearing UR gear, Aelin in a t-shirt and Rowan in a sweatshirt. 

A sweatshirt that was now unofficially hers. 

Though they’d met all kinds of people and expanded their friend group greatly during their freshman year, Rowan and Aelin stayed close, remained each other’s 2-am person, the one person that the other trusted to call or text in the middle of the night knowing they’d be there to talk. Perhaps it helped that Rowan was the one with the car, because he offered to drive Aelin home anytime he was headed back to Orynth during a break. 

At the end of freshman year, they decided to carpool home together, after Aelin moved a bunch of her dorm stuff into a storage unit that she shared with three of her friends. The drive was fifteen hours, so they decided to split it over two days and spend a night in a hotel in Perranth, which was just about the halfway point of their trip home. And they’d take turns driving, so neither of them got too tired at the wheel. 

Everything went smoothly, the first nine hours of the drive passing by relatively uneventfully, save for the handful of patches of congested traffic. Rowan grumbled under his breath when they got stuck in traffic, cursing that other drivers couldn’t bother to go the speed limit. 

“Ro, they can’t help being idiots.” 

“Can’t they be idiots going road speed?” 

Aelin snickered. “Obviously not, there’s not enough brainpower for that.” 

He cracked a smile. “Damn, I forgot about that. Guys only being able to think with one of their body parts and all that.” He wiggled his brows wickedly. 

She wheezed. “Shit, Ro! What, you spend a year with a bunch of horny freshmen guys or something?”

“Something like that,” he smirked. “Ae, you’ve met my roommate. Abd probably some of the girls he kept bringing in on the weekends.” 

Not just the weekends,” she reminded him. 

“Ugh,” Rowan groaned. “Thank the fucking gods I’m not rooming with him next year.” 

“Nah, you’re rooming with someone worse,” Aelin snickered. 

He shrugged. “Lorcan’s not a bad person, Ae, he’s just--”

“Grumpy?” 

“Grumpy,” Rowan agreed. 

Out of the last bit of congestion. they had a smooth drive to Perranth, arriving at the hotel around nine o’clock. The sky, gray and cloudy all day, had gone darker, the wind beginning to gust as if in warning, the threat of a downpour hanging heavy in the air. Rowan parked, turned off the car, and released a deep, heartfelt groan of relief. “We’re here.” 

“Oh thank all the gods,” Aelin sighed. “I was about to fall asleep in this seat, and trust me, Ro, your car and my spine would not agree.” 

“C’mon, then,” he laughed. “Let’s get you into a real bed, yeah?” 

She had to take a second to force down the sparks that Rowan’s casual words sent shooting through her nerve endings. Get your shit together, AAG! He’s your best friend, nothing more. “Simmer down,” she shot back, “some of us need to stretch out.” 

Rowan refrained from commenting, just waited until she’d climbed out of his car and then grabbed his backpack and her personal suitcase and headed into the hotel building with her, where he quickly checked in at the front desk, got the room keys, and handed one to her. “Room 411,” he said, leading her over to the elevators. 

“Ro, I’m more than capable of carrying my own suitcase,” she teased, pushing the elevator call button. 

He glanced down at the luggage in his hands. “I don’t mind, Ae.” 

“Such a gentleman.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Indeed, fair lady,” he deadpanned, putting on his fakest British accent. 

Aelin giggled and let him carry her suitcase into the elevator and down the hall when they got to their floor. “Oh, gods,” she groaned as she opened the door to the room. “Sleep!” She plopped her backpack atop one of the beds, waited for Rowan to put down her suitcase before unzipping it and grabbing her pajamas and toiletries, and then headed right into the bathroom, the shower turning on a moment later. 

She emerged about half an hour later toweling her damp hair, comfortable and sleepy in her old Nirvana t-shirt and sleep shorts, and gods fucking dammit, Rowan’s mind went to several truly impossibly places at the sight of her. Get your shit together, Whitethorn! She’s your best friend, and you’ve got no right to be staring at her or thinking those fucking things. “You about done hogging the one bathroom?” he teased, barely managing to mask the way his voice rasped. 

Aelin shot him a rude gesture. “Yes, and you can go primp now,” she returned. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that I know how many products you use.” 

He sighed, grabbing his own pajamas and toothbrush before ducking into the bathroom. Where he took a shower that was significantly colder than he would have preferred, using the bracing temperature to ground himself in reality. By the time he emerged, Aelin was tucked into her bed, her adorably oversized reading glasses propped on her nose, buried in her current novel. She only murmured a good-night, she was so absorbed in her story. Rowan clicked off his bedside lamp and rolled onto his side facing away from her, left he fall asleep to the image of her face, least the sight of the girl who owner his whole heart worm into his dreams. 

Again. 

Aelin clicked off her lamp shortly later, exhaling softly as she settled into the hotel bed’s soft covers. Outside the window, raindrops began splattering against the glass, the first wave of the promised storm. She drifted off to the pattering sound, having always found the rain calming. 

Then jerked awake at the first clap of thunder not quite a couple hours later, the storm yanking her out of sleep. She shifted, tucking herself deeper into the covers, forcing herself to take deep, even breaths. “It’s just a storm,” she whispered, “just a storm. It can’t hurt me.” Her mother had taught her to speak those words when she was just a little girl, so terrified of the rumbling thunder and blazing flashes of lightning that she’d burrow into her parents’ bed whenever there was a storm, screwing her eyes shut against the onslaught and taking refuge in her parents’ arms. “Just a storm,” she whispered again, bracing herself against the stormy symphony. 

Lighting blazed across the sky, a streak of white breaking through the curtains for an instant. Aelin whimpered softly, curling tighter under the blankets, and started counting under her breath. One, two, three, fo--Thunder rumbled through the night, the storm a mere three and a half(ish) miles away. She tucked the blankets closer around herself, willing her breath to stop fucking heaving as she tried in vain to calm down her racing pulse. 

Across the room, Rowan’s bed creaked, shifting with him as he rolled over, half-awake, and cracked open his eyes to check on her. “Aelin?” he whispered, his soft voice roughened with sleep. And again, “Aelin?” 

Another blaze of lightning turned her planned response into a whimper. She screwed her eyes shut and started counting. One, two, three, four, five--five seconds before the thunderclap. 

“Aelin?” Rowan’s murmur was closer this time, paired with his padding footsteps as he circled around to face her, concern shining in his green eyes. “Are you okay?” 

She just shook her head, the movement as much as she dared. 

Rowan exhaled slowly, obviously working over his next words. “Can I--I mean, would it help if--” He sighed, mussing up his already-sloppy hair. “Ae, can I hold you? It--fuck, it scares me to see you like this.” 

“Yeah, you--ohh!” Her faint response cut off into a whimper as yet another streak of lightning flicked across the sky. 

“Oh, Ae,” Rowan murmured, swinging himself into her bed, instinctively opening his arms for her as he slid under the covers. She tucked herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, and buried her face into his shoulder, clinging to him like he was her safety raft. Impulsively, he wrapped his arms tighter around her, stroking one hand up and down her back in broad, soft lines, feeling the tension in her limbs slowly ease as he calmed her. “Do you need to count?” he whispered, unconsciously slipping his fingers into her hair. 

“Eight,” Aelin mumbled, tensing briefly as the thunder boomed across the sky, briefly drowning out the beat of the rain against the windows. 

“’S getting farther away, then,” he murmured, his hand resuming its path up and down her spine. 

The next thunderclap came at fourteen seconds, then twenty, then thirty. The farther the storm moved from them, the more Aelin relaxed, though her hold on Rowan never faltered. By the time the thunder had grown faint in the distance, replaced by the tattoo of raindrops on the glass and the façade of the building, her breathing had begun to even out and the crease in her forehead had faded away, her calmness returning as the storm dissipated. 

“Hate thunderstorms,” she breathed. “Always have.” 

“It’s pretty far away now,” Rowan reassured her, quietly reveling in the way she hadn’t tried to send him back to his bed. 

“Yeah,” she whispered, exhaustion making her all but sink into the bed, still curled into his warmth as sleep claimed her once more. As he breathing evened and deepened into sleep’s rhythms, Rowan couldn’t stop himself from brushing a featherlight kiss across her temple, one last little gesture of comfort before he, too, let the darkness of sleep take him. 

Aelin awoke to bright sunlight, the faint scent of clear, clean, post-storm air, and the warmth of someone’s arms around her, of someone’s body cocooned around hers. 

Not just someone’s. 

Rowan’s. 

He’d stayed. After the storm passed, he’d stayed with her, held her as she fell asleep, and unless she’d been dreaming at that point--which she probably had been, to be honest--he’d kissed her forehead. His barely-there kiss soft and warm and oh so longed-for against her skin. 

Rowan was in her bed, holding her in his arms, and damn it all to the hells, she wanted him to stay there for the rest of her life. 

As if her thoughts had awoken him, Rowan stirred, blinking into consciousness and realizing, like she had, that she was cradled in his arms, her limbs tangled with his, her head still lying in the crook of his shoulder and neck, her hair loose and splayed across the pillows. 

“Morning,” he breathed, almost like he, to, wasn’t quite sure if he was still dreaming. 

“Morning, Ro,” she breathed back, staring into his pine-green eyes and finding herself absolutely unable to look anywhere else. 

“I--” 

She cut him off before he could do anything stupid like try to move. “Thank you. For staying with me.” 

Rowan visibly relaxed, his arms subconsciously flexing around her. “I’m always here for you, Ae.” More emotion, more confessions packed into those few words than he’d intended. 

Her breath caught, but for an entirely different reason than it had mere hours ago. “Always?” 

“Always.” 

The corners of her mouth quirked. “Then...” She huffed out a short breath. “Rowan, then why haven’t you ever done anything about it?” 

“I thought you just wanted to be friends,” he mumbled, more than aware of the flush spreading across his cheeks. “You...you never made any indication otherwise, Aelin.” 

“You men and your denseness,” she sighed. “Let me make myself perfectly clear, Rowan Whitethorn. I am completely head over heels for you, even though I may have been trying to deny it to myself, and I literally cannot keep it hidden anymore. Thanks to the bloody thunderstorm.” 

Rowan blinked, momentarily lost for words. And then a grin brighter than the morning sun bloomed across his face. “Aelin Galathynius, I am completely and totally yours. If you’ll let me be.” 

Her smile matched his. “Are you asking me out, Whitethorn?” 

“Be my girlfriend, Galathynius.” Definitely not a question. 

“I thought you usually waited until after at least a few dates before you asked that,” she teased. 

“Not when I’ve been this dumb for this long,” Rowan grinned. “Yes or no, Ae?” 

“Yes,” she beamed, twining her arms around his neck. “Took you long enough to ask, Ro.” 

His thumb caressed her jaw. “Our parents are going to have the time of their lives when we get home, aren’t they?” 

Aelin’s laughter filled the hotel room with music. “They really are.” 

Five years, one overly enthusiastic dog, and a shared apartment later, Aelin and Rowan were--finally--making their forever official. They hadn’t had a picture-perfect relationship, mostly because those didn’t exist, but they had learned better than to go to bed angry, had learned to talk through their hopes and dreams and tears and fears rather than curl up alone and try to make it through the raging thunderstorm alone. 

No, Aelin reflected, there really was nothing like a natural disaster to bring two people together. 

Especially if those two people had been quietly, madly in love with each other for years. 

[punkylilwitch]

Herblore

This one is a long one so bear with me!! :))

~ BlackBerry ~

Celtic - fairy fruit and may bring bad luck to people who eat them

~ Rosemary ~

Greek - protects against evil spirits and worn to protect against memory loss by Greek scholars

European - when placed under the pillow of an unmarried woman, she would witness prophetic dreams of her future husband

Hungary - thought to cure a crippled Queen Elizabeth when a rosemary oil and alcohol mixture was rubbed into her joints

“At funerals, fresh sprigs were tossed into the grave as a sign that the departed would not be forgotten. Even today, rosemary is offered as a symbol of love, friendship, and remembrance.“ - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Garlic ~

European - A powerful ward against devils, werewolves, and vampires. Garlic could be worn on one's person, hung in windows, or rubbed on chimneys and keyholes

~ Oregano ~

Greek and Roman - happiness and joy; new couples wore wreaths of oregano on their heads at their weddings to grantee future joy, and oregano growing on a grave was an indication of a happy afterlife for the deceased.

~ Dill ~

European(?) - believed to possess magical powers and could destroy evil spells and a drink made from dill leaves was the remedy witchcraft-induced curses

Roman - if eaten it would increase valor and courage

((UNKNOWN)) - chewed by children to keep them quiet and at peace during religious ceremonies. It is also said to help keep adults awake during such ceremonies

~ Thyme ~

European - Collecting thyme flowers from hillsides where fairies live and then rubbing the flowers on one’s eyelids may make it so that they would be able to see fairies.

“In Victorian times, thyme was placed under pillows for prophetic dreams and to improve memory. Thyme was also potted with other herbs as a form of divination. Each pot was assigned the name of a desired lover and the plants that grew the fastest and the strongest would predict the love match.“ - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Angelica ~

European - appears in dreams as a warding off of evil and curing of the plague, can be used in herbal baths to purify and remove curses 

“Sprinkling the leaves and flowers around the outside of the home is thought to protect against evil spirits. It is also used to make exorcism incense.“ - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Sage ~

Egyptian - ceremonially used to mummify bodies; protects against magic, fire and hail, as well in easing the birth and conception

France - used to ease grief

~ Nettle ~

Norse - Thor represented by nettles 

“burning them on the fire will protect you from his lightening during thunderstorms” - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Elder/Elderberry ~

“In some areas it was thought that the elder tree could ward off evil influence and give protection from witches. Other stories say that witches often congregate under the plant, especially when it is full of berries. Some traditions believe that if you cut an elder tree and use the wood for bonfires, you will be cursed. If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge. However, the tree could be safely cut if you chanted a special rhyme to the Elder Mother.“  - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Hawthorne ~

Celtic - one of the most sacred trees and symbolizes love and protection

European(?) - “Oak, ash, and hawthorn, when growing naturally together, create a place where it is easy to see the fairies. Hawthorns were once believed to be the transformed bodies of witches, who had shapeshifted into tree form. Others believed that the spirit seen in the Hawthorn was that of a dryad or wood nymph.” - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Fennel ~

European - “During the Middle Ages, fennel was hung above doorways and on rafters to ward off the devil. Fennel seeds were also placed inside keyholes in order to prevent ghosts from entering the house.” - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Elecampane ~

Gaelic - attracts the Aos Sí when spread around the home; added to spells can invoke the blessings of fairies

~ Heather ~

European(?) - “Heather is said to ignite fairy passions and open portals between their world and our own.” - Mountain Rose Herbs

~ Roses ~

Greek - “According to myth, the first roses did not have thorns. While Venus’ son Cupid smelled a rose, a bee came out and stung him on the lip. Venus then strung his bow with bees. She removed their stingers and placed them on the stems of the roses. Myth also says that every rose was white until Venus punctured her foot on a thorny briar and some of the white petals were dyed red with her blood.” - Mountain Rose Herbs

Also widely known to attract fairies when placed in a garden

~ Basil ~

Hindu - Tulsi, Tulasi or Vrinda (Holy Basil) is seen as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi

British - used in place of a bible during oath

~ Cilantro ~

Egypt - food in the afterlife gifted to the deceased

~ Myrtle ~

Greek - herb of love; sacred to Aphrodite and Demeter

“The Greeks believed a myrtle garland signified the same as an olive garland, except that it was especially auspicious for farmers because of Demeter and for women because of Aphrodite.“ - Jekka‘s(Herb Farm)

~ Heartsease ~

Egyptian - originated from the tears of Isis

Greek - worshiped by Eros; to inhibit this worship, Aphrodite colored them, which resulted in tricolor coloration

Roman - “ turned into the Love-in-idleness as Cupid shot one of his arrows at the imperial votary, but missed and struck the flower. As Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love, the flower’s juice received the trait to act as love potion and the flower ‘before milk-white’ turned ‘purple with love’s wound’ “  - Jekka‘s(Herb Farm)

Greek and Roman priests both wore amulets made of it because of its aespects of purification and protection, and the Romans also used it to purify their altars after sacrifices.

~ Amaranth ~

Greek - symbolizes immortality; known as "one that does not wither"

https://www.jekkas.com/blogs/jekkas-blog/the-myth-magic-and-folklore-of-herbs

https://www.gardencityharvest.org/the-real-dirt-garden-city-harvest-blog/2015/07/22/the-folklore-of-herbs

https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/herbal-folktales

And here is a website of links leading to general lore on many different kinds of herbs!: http://www.ourherbgarden.com/herb-history.html

And here’s some unmentioned stuff!: http://www.herbsociety-stu.org/herbs-in-mythology.html

[ethanjhake]

Journal Entry: Frayash and Geia

Frayash (FREY-ash) and Geia (GEY-uh) are two characters from classic Traivelt literature. Frayash and Geia are twin sister horses, one with a white coat (Frayash), and the other with a black coat (Geia). 

They appear often throughout Traivelt imagery as a symbol of sisterhood, friendship, and synergy. 

Frayash is strong and fast, with a bold spirit and a will of stone. Geia is gentle and wise, with a quick wit and knowing eyes. Throughout their adventures they tend to balance each other out, using their differing talents and temperaments to solve problems in the best way possible. One legend claims that they were born simultaneously in a thunderstorm, Frayash being born out of the lightning and thunder, while Geia was born out of the wind and rain. 

Probably the most popular and exemplary story about them is one where the two sisters become separated by accident and individually meet a dragon named Syngard who attempts to convince them that he has captured the other sister and will only relinquish her once the one has brought to him specific treasures to add to his hoard. Using this scheme, Syngard plans to have treasurers brought to him by both sisters simultaneously, always promising that he will release the other sister once they have brought him the next treasure, always of greater value than the last. So even though he hasn’t really captured either sister, he has caught them both in a lie.

Geia finally sees through his lie and calls his bluff by offering herself for her sister’s release, knowing that Syngard can’t fill his half of the bargain. Syngard realizing his mistake, panics and swallows Geia whole. Soon, Frayash comes with a new treasure to trade to Syngard. The dragon, newly inspired, says that he will let Frayash’s sister go, so long as Frayash will let him eat her in exchange. Frayash sorrowfully agrees, and allows the dragon to eat her. Syngard greedily swallows Frayash whole and falls asleep content with himself. Inside of the dragon’s stomach, Frayash meets her sister who explains the dragon's scheme to her. Frayash is glad to see her sister alive, but when she hears how she had been tricked, she becomes enraged. Frayash begins to stomp about inside the dragon’s stomach so forcefully that it causes Syngard to vomit up the two sisters along with all his organs, so that he never awakes from his sleep. 

Alive and reunited, Frayash and Geia leave together with all the treasures in Syngard’s hoard. 

In other well known moments from different stories, Geia tricks a troll into eating himself, Frayash races a giant and runs so fast that she begins to fly, Frayash eats a poison fruit but survives out of sheer will power, Geia reverses time by walking backwards.

image: Frayash is eaten by Syngard

— Peter Pensworth

[shirophantomvox]

The Smooth Talker Chrollo x Reader

An anon asked for a Chrollo x reader story for my 100 followers special and I cannot find the post. I will add this to the story navigation. Thank you for following! If you're new, browse my blog and send me an ask if you have a question!

Story Navigation

The skies were gray, full of rain down-pouring. Thunder clapped every 2 minutes, warning its subordinates to rush to shelter before they get stuck.

Living on the 85th floor in the Fitzgerald Resort was delightful. But during thunderstorms, they were terrifying. The closer to the sky, the more likely lighting will hit the roof, sending the building ablaze. Believe it or not, the lightning provided additional light to help apply makeup. Tonight was a special night for Chrollo and yourself because you were celebrating over 10 years of friendship and 4 years of being sweethearts. On what was supposed to be a sunny day, the rain added a different mood to its setting, one that wasn’t necessarily bad or good. Many people have different feelings about the rain; some believe it adds a romantic atmosphere and some believe it represents sadness and gloominess.

Remaining friends with Chrollo was surprising, but being both his partner and his friend for such a long time was astonishing. Chrollo Lucilfer may have been a dumpster fire behind the scenes, but in the public eye, he was eye candy. He had the perfect body and attitude that could make any girl swoon. Upfront, Chrollo always appeared to be calm and collected, but once you got to know him, that is when the demons were released. Even with you by his side as his best female friend, women always latched onto his arms and practically fall at his feet. This bothered you, but he only considered you as a close friend for emotional support. Causing too much trouble feared losing that bond that the both of you had established since elementary school. When Chrollo began dating in high school, he’d often ask you for advice and if your feelings toward a particular girl weren’t up to par, he’d let them down easily. It is safe to assume that even then; you held a special place in his heart.

A glistening gradient from red to black was laid down perfectly on your eyelid. “Eye Tattoo” made your skin look flawless no matter what lightning you were under. There was no need for mascara or false eyelashes because yours were lush and long naturally. You have been told several times about how people wish they had your lashes. Red is a color from God himself; that color made you look heavenly. This dress was imported from France and was created by its most famous fashion designer, Deon Meldine(Mel-dean). The deep back cut of the dress felt heavenly as the air condition brushed against your backbone. Body glitter adds an extra shine to your exposed skin. The dress was made of silk fabric and was so snug around your unique body you hugged yourself.

Just a few months ago, you were in the exact spot crying hopelessly about your body shape. Your breasts weren’t large, you were very thin, your behind was not exaggerated, and your hair wasn’t always done. It boggled everyone’s mind why Chrollo remained your friend and pursue a relationship with you. After being shamelessly rejected by misogynistic men, your confidence had crashed to the ground. Chrollo reassured you every time about what he loves about you, but it wasn’t clicking. Seeing yourself in the mirror in a beautiful red dress, flawless eye makeup, and matching red and golden heels boosted your confidence by 100%.

“Finally ready,” you murmured to yourself. Picking up your phone and scrolling through Twitter is a bad habit that all people have developed. Sometimes, you could be so engrossed in social media that you forget about your surroundings. Some people even slip down a slope where all they do is stay online, and that is not healthy for anyone. On the main page, Twitter boosted California’s Governor’s re-election campaign, and it caused many people to roar. Reading many opinions from both sides of the spectrum sucked you in like a black hole, both in irritation and curiosity.

“Hi. I am Roger Ken and I am running for California State Governor….”

Something wet fell on the bottom part of your neck, causing you to snap out of the political trance you were about to fall into. This soft feeling was rather pleasant, like a pair of feathers grazing against your skin. The sensation continued but spread over the parts of your back that were exposed in the triangular shape of your dress. The deeper the sensation, the more mental groans you released. Once they briefly stopped, a powerful force grabbed your right hand and raised it to be met by a pair of familiar lips. His lips gently kissed the soft skin part of your hand twice, slowly, and gently. It was apparent that he wanted to “savor the flavor”. Chrollo gently placed his large, firm hands around your waist, holding you in his clutch. His sharp chin rested on your soft shoulder, propping his lips, brushing against the outer lobe of your ear.

“You look gorgeous. I won't be able to keep my eyes off you.” His words were whispered and felt sharp as they pierced through your eardrum. It’s something about his lighthearted chuckled that made you want to melt into a puddle in his arms.

“Thank you, Chrollo,” you cooed.

“You smell nice, too. What is it, Powdered Rose?” he asked, placing another kiss on your mid-shoulder.

“You are correct.”

Chrollo spent at least 2 minutes placing kisses over your exposed skin and whispering praises into your ear. It’s something he did occasionally to reassure you about how much he cares for you both as a lover and a friend. He held you tighter for the last time before he let go.

“We must get going, Chrollo. The rain will keep on all night.”

“That’s perfectly fine.” He assists you with your coat and hands you a large black umbrella. “The rain adds to my romantic mood. Who knows, maybe when we return, we can kiss until it stops or until I run out of vinyl records to play. Your choice.”

“Do you know what your kisses do to me?”

“Of course I do, princess.” He snatches you in his clutch once more, holding your balled fist, softly unfolding your hand. “All I have to do is this—“ He kisses the inside of your palm twice—“And you're all over me like bees on honey.”

“Oh, shoot! You've figured it out,” you exclaimed jokingly.

“I sure did. Let’s hope the staff hasn’t eaten yet. I don’t want them to throw up while they watch us make out.”

Chrollo held your hand and led you out of the door. The dark apartment was silent, but the smell of your Powdered Rose aroma remained in the room.

[sheirukitriesfandom]

Rashkan Fanfic Masterpost

An overview of all my fics about Rashkan, his life at the college, and his relationship with Savos. Some of these are a bit older; don’t expect the chronological order to reflect the writing quality. There’s a teeny tiny timeline retcon between Chasing The Storm Away and Rest Calm due to the inclusion of Under Starlit Skies, but the resulting events remain the same. I’ll update the masterpost with every released fic to make navigating the timeline easier.

Farewell

Content: implied Family Drama, introspection

Summary: At the break of dawn, a ship would leave port to brave the Sea of Ghosts until it reached the distant shores of Windhelm, and with it, Rashkan would leave this dreary old rock behind once and for all.

Warnings: Abandonment

A Change of Seasons: Alone

Content: Introspection

Summary: Finally accepted into the College of Winterhold, Rashkan spends his first night there lost in thought.

Warnings: -

A Change of Seasons: Blood

Content: Slice of life, mild comedy

Summary: A vampire needs to feed. Luckily, a volunteer has presented himself to Rashkan just in time.

Warnings: Blood, brief drug comparison

A Change of Seasons: Cold

Content: Adventure, mild hurt/comfort

Summary: Savos wants to gather some ice wraith teeth, Rashkan decides to accompany him. What sounds like an easy enough task quickly turns into a catastrophe.

Warnings: Major character injury, blood, graphic depictions of violence, mild gore

A Change of Seasons: Discovery

Content: Slice of life, comedy

Summary: In which Savos is tasked with proofreading some of Rashkan's poetry - or so he thinks.

Warnings: NSFW (M), sexual content with horrible metaphors

Content: Slice of life, mild comedy

A Change of Seasons: Earthworms

Summary: The day of reckoning has come for the earthworms living in the archmage's garden, but maybe, there is more to the little critters than Rashkan has ever considered.

A Change of Seasons: Foe

Rashkan's First New Life

Content: Slice of life

Summary: Rashkan spends his first New Life at the college. To his misfortune, however, the college has a strange way of celebrating. Conflict is inevitable.

Content: Mystery, Mild Horror

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Alcohol, Minor Character Death, Mild Gore, Blood, Corpses, Medical procedures, Mild body horror

Summary: A hunt for inspiration leads Rashkan Atheron, hobbyist writer and scholar at the College of Winterhold, to the Frozen Hearth. There, he learns of a recent disappearance that has the good townspeople running their mouths. Savos Aren, meanwhile, pays a long overdue visit to an old friend.

Soon after, they and the other college mages find themselves under suspicion - and in danger.

An Act Of Friendship

Content: Slice of life, fluff

Summary: Every day, Savos feeds Rashkan. Time has come for some payback.

Warnings: -

Storm

Content: Hurt/Comfort

Summary:

How could he have forgotten his journal of all things?

Rashkan was stomping up the stairs to the archmage's quarters, grumbling. Thunder boomed each time his feet hit the ground.

Everyone knew that late-night inspiration was a writer's bread-and-butter.

Thunderstorms were rare in Winterhold, so it was a cruel mockery that one should strike the moment he made such a mindless mistake.

...Many more stories...

On A Lonely Night

Content: Pining, Feelings of guilt

Summary: One lonely night, Savos finds himself tormented by straying thoughts and his own treacherous body. If only he could stop thinking about a certain someone...

Warnings: NSFW (R-18/E)

The Ghosts of Home

Content: Family Drama

Summary: Rashkan returns to his family home on Solstheim to make peace with the family he left 50 years ago without saying a word.

Warnings: Dysfunctional Family

Chasing the Storm Away

Content: Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Rashkan misses his usual meeting with Savos, so naturally, the archmage goes to investigate.

Warnings: -

Under Starlit Skies

Content: Romance, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: On a clear Winterhold night, Savos and Rashkan are out stargazing. However, a dark cloud of doubt looms over the archmage.

Warnings: Savos being an insecure worrywart

Rest Calm

Content: Fluff, Sickfic

Summary: Spending that afternoon out in the cold with Rashkan has left Savos bedridden. Feeling guilty, Rashkan visits him.

Warnings: Sick Character

Time

Content: Mild Angst, Comfort

Summary: In the dead of night, Rashkan worries about the future.

Warnings: -

Of Family And Threads

Content: Slice of life, fluff

Summary: A pair of ripped pants leads to Rashkan discovering that Savos cannot sew.

Three Magic Words

Warnings: -

Content: Romance, Fluff, Slice of Life

Summary: Savos has something to tell Rashkan.

Warnings: -

Closer to the Heart

Content: Erotica

Summary: Savos has often wanted to travel but as archmage of the College of Winterhold, he rarely gets the chance. In a cruel twist of fate, the one time he does not want to go, he has to. His boyfriend is not happy.

Kopfkino

Warnings: NSFW (R-18/E)

Bedtime Stories or 26 Times Rashkan Slept in the Archmage's Bed

Content: Sexual content, comedy

Sumnary: Kopfkino, das: From German, literally meaning "head cinema", Kopfkino refers to one's imagination or inner eye.

Ancano overhears something that stirs his imagination—and, to his horror, something else as well.

Content: Slice of Life

Summary: 26 very short ficlets about Rashkan, Savos, and what they do in their bed.

Warnings: implied sexual content, implied nudity

[midearthwritings]

Of Courtship and Patience (PART 1)

It took Naya many decades and three courtship proposals before giving her heart to Thorin.

Words Count : 2,188

Warning : Canonical Character Death, Grief

Author's Note : Ok so, little bit of context. The first part is set between TA 2793 and 2799, during the War of Dwarves and Orcs. I tried to stay as close to the story as possible. I'm really f-ing nervous because this is my first ever OC fic. Hope you will enjoy it.

And a big thank you to my #1 cheerleader @laurfilijames for helping me proof reading this and for her eternal support.

“Will they return to us?” 

Dís’ trembling voice made Naya look up at her. Her face, which was always so calm and composed, was distorted with fear and sorrow. 

Erebor was long lost, and exile had been forced onto them. It took years to get accustomed to the fact that they would never see the Lonely Mountain again. And after losing a home and being condemned to wander the world in search of somewhere to live, one would think there wasn’t much left to lose. It seemed the Gods did not share the same opinion for uncertainty and grief had been haunting the two young ladies’ nights lately.

Even without a king, those who could handle a weapon were taken away to battle. Even without a kingdom, the line of Durin was royalty. Therefore, they were the firsts to run into the deadly embrace of war. Death was their duty.

Slowly, Naya slid her hand into Dís’ in a gesture she hoped was reassuring enough.

“I cannot promise such a thing,” she said in a soft tone. “ For hoping too much might kill you if they do not come back. We can only wait.” 

The fire crackled quietly in the hearth, like a whisper carrying the saddest news and comforting them at the same time. It warmed their hearts when it had destroyed all they ever had, leaving them with nothing but their tears. 

Far from here, far from the safety of these walls, those they cherished the most were fighting vile creatures, exposing their souls to Death’s greedy fingers. Naya’s guts twisted and her eyes dropped to the floor. 

“If we lose them, Dís, will our friendship survive?”

A strong hand grabbed her face and forced her eyes to lock with Dís’. They were burning with determination, challenging her to repeat what she had said.

“Silly, if we lose them, you will be all I have left. So do not say such words, even to jest. I cannot bear the thought of having my greatest friend parted from me.”

The younger lady’s lips curved into a smile, a crooked one for the fingers digging into her cheeks made it hard. It made Dís smile as well, one mirroring the other. Mahal might have not crafted them to be each other's One, but surely, he had made them be the perfect reflection of the other's soul. They were like two sides of the same blade, held together by a bond so strong that neither time, life, or death would ever be able to break.       

      Although time did not break them apart, it did break their hearts. Many moons had passed without hearing from anyone. Dís, as well as Naya, had started to mourn the death of their brothers and friends. Or, at least, their disappearance. They had lost any hope of seeing them ever again. And so one day, they stopped praying for the Gods to have mercy, and silence replaced their hopeful chatter as they held each other’s hand every night. 

One morning, however, someone pounded loudly on Dis’ wooden door. Naya left her baking aside and went to open it. Perhaps was it that dwarf again, the one that was eyeing Dís like she was the most precious thing in this world. Naya wiped her hands onto her apron and pulled the door open.

It was not Dís’ suitor. She could not believe her eyes, at first. But there Thorin was, standing in the doorway, waiting for her to let him in. 

“Mahal, are my eyes fooling me?” She breathed out. “Thorin, is that really you?” 

The words had barely left her mouth when she heard Dís running down the stairs, her footsteps resonating inside the house like a thunderstorm. But all she could focus on was Thorin's blue eyes on her. They reminded her of the clear spring sky, full of promises of new beginnings. It was like when the sun was back from its long sleep, awakening the flowers and birds and people's hearts. And perhaps, at this moment, something did bloom in Naya's heart. 

             She did not hear  Dís call her brother's name and barely registered when she pushed past her to drag him into a tight embrace.

“Oh brother, I thought I would never see you again!” she exclaimed.

“Fear not, sister. A few cuts and scratches are all I had to go through.”

Naya smiled fondly. Dís’ love for Thorin washed over her, making her heart beat faster inside her chest. Only now did she realize it was not a dream. He had come back to them with almost no wounds and, most importantly, alive.

She stepped forward and laid her hand on Dís’ shoulder. Her friend pulled back, releasing Thorin from her arms. He was changed. His features had been hardened by war and his eyes were clouded with something she could not quite pinpoint.

“Won’t you embrace me as well?” 

Thorin’s deep voice sent shivers down her spine and she wrapped her arms around his body. He had lost weight, and she would have to make sure he regained all of it. But he hadn’t lost his muscles. She buried her face in his mane, but its softness wasn’t enough to make the coppery smell of blood go unnoticed. At this moment, Thorin felt like a stranger and like home all at once. 

“Your sister missed you greatly.” Naya whispered, only for him to hear.

“And you?” he asked in an equally low tone.

Naya chuckled and tightened her grip. She had missed him more than the sun missed the moon, more than the birds missed the trees covered in leaves during summer.  

“Yes, Thorin, I did.”

They let go of each other slowly as if to make the moment last longer. She could feel Dís’ eyes on her back, scrutinizing them. She stepped back, giving the prince some space, and offered a smile to her friend. 

“You must be tired, and hungry,” Naya said. “Get yourself comfortable, we will make something for you to eat.”

And so they did. Soon enough, the three of them were sitting at the table, sharing a meal. It was mostly Thorin who ate, in fact, for Naya and Dís did not feel the need to. Surrounded by comforting silence, they watched him eat, making sure he had everything he needed. But peace was something people were granted only for a short amount of time. 

“Thorin, when will Frerin come back?” Dís asked in a voice so timid Naya thought it wasn’t really her who had spoken up.

The prince looked up to his sister and Naya finally understood what it was that filled his eyes. It was grief. Frerin would not return. 

It did not take long for Dís to understand as well. She nodded slightly, tears threatening to fall, but she did not cry. She would when no one was looking because it was how royalty mourned the death of their loved ones. Naya was not royalty. Yet, she kept her head up and held back her tears to pay her respect to Frerin’s family and his memory. 

The following days, candles were lit in memory of the lost heir of Durin. They shone brightly like little stars, guiding Frerin into Mahal’s Halls. Naya held Dís as she grieved, but no words were able to soothe the excruciating pain that had taken over the princess’ heart.

Naya had hoped Thorin would help her, that he would stay by his sister’s side and comfort her, but no one had seen him for days. He had barely returned to them and he was already gone again. She felt anger towards him. For years, he had been away, battling against creatures that wanted him dead, and when Dís needed him the most, he was nowhere to be seen. Naya would have his head if he did not make an appearance soon.

One night, after they had stopped lighting candles and Dís was resting, he came to find her. It was late, and sleep had abandoned her. So she was baking again, hoping to silence the dark thoughts. She heard him coming from behind, his footsteps barely audible like those of a mouse. 

“Have you finally found some interest in your sister’s feelings?” she spat out, keeping her back to him. 

“Naya, I must speak to you.” 

She spun around, her blood boiling with rage. Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked up to him.

“No Thorin,” she said accusingly, her index finger digging into his chest. “It is I who must speak to you. We have not seen, nor heard from you in years. The thought that maybe you had passed away has kept us awake at night. Although I am more than delighted to have you back, you had no right to abandon your sister again. Mahal, Thorin, do you not care for Frerin’s death?”

His hand enveloped her wrist, carefully pushing it away. The feeling of Thorin’s calloused fingertips on her sensitive skin made her heart skip a beat.

“I do care for my brother,” he explained. “Crying over his death will not bring him back to life.”

“Then it is very selfish of you to believe everyone grieves the way you do.” 

They stayed quiet for a while, standing close to each other, their breath mingling together. Through the kitchen window the pale moonlight poured onto Thorin’s face and made his eyes look like the most precious jewels Naya had ever been blessed to see.

“I apologize for neglecting my sister, and you. I hope you will find in your heart the will to forgive my behavior. In my defense, I have been busy.”

“What could be more important than your family, Thorin?” she asked quietly.

Slowly, the prince pulled something out of his coat. It was a folded piece of fabric that looked a little dirty. He handed it over to Naya and she took it, looking back and forth between Thorin and the small bit of material.

“What is it?” she questioned again.

“You must open it if you wish to find out.”

Carefully, she unfolded it, revealing a single metal bead lying in the center. It was beautifully crafted, intricate patterns engraved into it. As she looked closer she recognized some of the symbols. Her eyes widened and she looked back at Thorin. 

“Thorin, I-”

“Naya,” he interrupted, cupping her face with his palms. “This is a token of my love for you. I wish I could offer you more, I wish we were still in Erebor so I could treat you as you deserve. But no matter where or when, no matter the circumstances, I promise to honor and cherish you until Mahal calls us into his halls. In your hands lies my heart and the promise of my eternal love. Please, allow me to court you.” 

Naya’s heart was pounding inside her chest, and she feared Thorin might have heard it because his lips curved into a small smile. The moonlight hit the bead, and the soft light caught her eyes. Her eyes fell back onto the tiny object and she smiled softly.

“This is what you have been up to…” she concluded, her finger brushing against the cold metal. “It is very pretty, Thorin. Your skills are very impressive. But I must refuse-”

As she spoke, she folded the piece of fabric over the silver bead, hiding it from her view and Thorin’s hands fell to his side.

“Why is that, if I may ask? Is it not to your liking? I could make you another one.”

“No Thorin, it is not that.” she said, giving him his gift back. “I must say, your feelings are returned. My heart beats for you, trust me. But we are still young, Thorin. As we grow up, your heart will change and desire other things. I do not wish for you to promise me love when your One could still be out there.”

The prince shook his head and grabbed her hips, pulling her against his chest, causing Naya to huff disapprovingly.

“I do not think my heart will ever love anyone but you.” Thorin affirmed.

Naya chuckled, her forehead falling to his shoulder. She stayed silent, enjoying the warmth of Thorin’s body against hers. 

“How about…” she began, pulling back. “ How about you wait some more? If your love for me has not faded, decades from now, you may propose again.”

She looked at him as he seemed to be considering her offer. Finally, he gave her a small nod.

“I shall wait then.” he declared. “Until then, allow me to steal a kiss?”

“Now, Thorin,” she joked, tilting her head to the side and wrapping her arms around his waist. “That wouldn’t be proper, much less from a prince, to steal kisses outside of courtship, don’t you think? Although, I can grant you this-”

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his bearded cheek. And the smile she earned from it was worth more than all of the gold in the world.

He would wait for her, and she would wait for him.

[samanthaa-leanne]

25 Dates of Christmas: Day Eighteen

 Being a pro hero meant the world to you. You had wanted to save people from the moment you got your quirk. You loved every aspect of the job, especially how it brought you closer to a certain green haired cutie. 

You and Izuku started working together at the same agency a little while after you graduated from hero school. You instantly clicked and had become fast friends. It didn’t take long for you to realize you were in love with him. 

You weren’t one to hold in your feelings for long, so after sitting on your feelings for a few days you decided to tell Izuku how you felt. 

“I think I’m in love with you.” You announced as you walked out of the agency, your day of hero work ending almost as quick as it started. 

“Wait.. What?” Izuku asked as he stopped in his tracks turning back to look at you. That blush spreading over his cheeks, just like a teenager’s would. 

“I love you.” You repeated as you gave him a small smile, nervously picking at your fingers as you waited for him to say something.

“I love you too.” He whispered, walking up to you, pulling you in for a hug. His arms wrapping around you tightly as his fingers ran up and down your back. 

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding as you relaxed into his embrace. You were terrified that he wouldn’t feel the same way and it would ruin your friendship. Knowing he felt the same lifted a huge weight off your shoulders.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked as he pulled back to look at you, his cheeks becoming a dark crimson red. 

When he saw you nod in response his eyes lit up before he bent down to press his lips against yours. His lips were soft against yours, kissing you gently as if you were made of glass and would break at any moment. 

“I’ve wanted to tell you that for so long.” He murmured against your lips as he kissed you once again. Both of you smiling like idiots as you kiss each other over and over again. 

                                                           -

As you watched the snow fall from the window your mind wondered back to what happened in the last year. You had both accomplished so much in such a short time. Izuku making his way into the top 3 heroes with you rising to the top 10. You found a beautiful apartment to live in and even adopted a cat. 

“YN, darling, did you hear me?” Izuku asked, breaking you out of your little bubble.

“No I’m sorry. What did you say?” 

“I ran into Aizawa yesterday and apparently Eri has been begging him to ask us if she can come over.” He said as he got up from the table and came to stand beside you.

“You know she can come over whenever she’d like.” You replied with a smile as you thought about the first time you had met Eri. 

                                                               -

Eri was incredibly shy and hid behind Izuku for a while before she warmed up to you. You didn’t take offense to it considering everything the small girl had been through. Instead, you let her have her time with Izuku as you stood in the kitchen catching up with Aizawa. He was telling you a story from Izuku’s time in school when you felt a small tug on your sweater. 

“Zuku told me you can make snowflakes appear out of thin air.” Eri whispered shyly as she looked up at you, her eyes filled with wonder. 

You looked over at Izuku who gave you a reassuring smile before you bent down to her level and activated your quirk. Your quirk was weather manipulation. You could summon a thunderstorm in the blink of an eye, even having the ability to control the lightning as a weapon. You had spent years trying to perfect your quirk. The ability to summon small amounts opposed to larger had always been difficult for you, but with time and patience you were an expert.

You opened your palm and released several snowflakes into the room, watching Eri as she looked around the room and then back at you, a wide smile appearing on her face. She reached her hand out to grab one of the flakes and gasped once she realized they were real and not an illusion, her smile growing even wider. 

From that moment on Eri opened up to you even more. Always wanting to spend time with you and Izuku. Which was never a problem with you, considering you loved Eri as if she was your own flesh and blood. 

                                                              -

It had been a month since you had seen Eri and it was killing you. You missed the small girl so much. With both you and Izuku being busy with work you just didn’t have the time to have her over.

“I remembered.” He said letting out a small laugh as the doorbell rang, breaking you from your thoughts. He looked up at you with a smile before motioning to the door.

You ran over to the door, throwing it open quickly, as your eyes met with a familiar pair of red ones. 

“Eri!” You shouted as you scooped her up in your arms, hugging her close. Her small arms wrapping around you tightly. “I missed you, small fry.” You whispered in her ear as you hugged her tighter. 

“I missed you too, YN!” She answered as she leaned back to look at you, her signature smile plastered on her face. 

“Hey, what about me?” Izuku asked from behind you as he looked at you guys with a soft smile. 

Eri let go of her hold on you and ran over to Izuku, jumping into his outstretched arms as he hugged her. 

“I missed you too, Zuku.” She said, wrapping her small hands around his neck. 

You turned to let Aizawa inside, only for him to shake his head at you. “I’ve got to get going. Thanks for watching Eri tonight. I’ll be back to get her tomorrow.” He said as he handed you her overnight bag before turning his attention to Eri. “Be good. I’ll see you tomorrow, princess.” He gave her a quick smile before turning and walking down the stairs.

“So what do you wanna do first, small fry?” You asked as you set her bag down in the living room.

“Can we build a snowman?” She asked looking between you and Izuku hoping for one of you to say yes. With a quick look in Izuku’s direction he nodded his head and soon you were all getting your snow gear on.

                                                               -

“Ready? Set. Go!” Eri yelled as she sat on a chair of snow you had made for her. 

You had been outside for about 20 minutes before Eri suggested a snowman building competition. She wanted to see who could build a prettier snowman, you or Izuku. You weren’t one to back away from a challenge so you eagerly accepted knowing Izuku would do the same. 

So here you were rolling snow into balls, making sure they were all symmetrical and perfect before placing them on top of each other. Grabbing the scarf from your neck and wrapping it around the snowman as you placed the finishing touches on your creation. You looked over to see Izuku finishing up on his as well. 

You walked over to Eri, sitting beside her as you both watched Izuku finish his snowman. You weren’t going to lie, his looked great, but yours was better. 

“Ready to lose?” You asked Izuku as he joined you and Eri once he finished.

“In your dreams, sweetheart.” He answered as he pressed a quick kiss to your forehead as Eri went to look at the snowman. 

She went to Izuku’s first and her eyes went wide when she looked at it. Grabbing your hand Izuku pulled you over to his snowman and you couldn’t help but smile as you looked at how cheesy it looked. 

“You recreated Olaf!” She screamed as she jumped up and down looking at the snowman as if it would come alive. 

You shook your head as you looked up at Izuku. He was looking down at you with a victory smile as Eri walked over to your snowman. 

“It’s not over yet love.” You whispered as you watched Eri take in your snowman, a soft gasp coming from her lips. 

“Is that.. me?” She asked as she looked up at you with teary eyes.

“No way.” Izuku whispered as you nodded your head at both of them. 

With what little art you had under your belt you made little Eri into a snowman. Sure it didn’t look exactly like her, but it resembled her in many ways, especially the bright smile the snowman wore as it looked down at her. A tiara made of snow was placed on top of it making it a snow princess. 

“Do you like it?” You asked, kneeling down to her level, wiping away the tears that fell from her face. 

“I love it.” She cried out as she threw her arms around you. 

“I guess we have a winner.” Izuku said with a smile as he looked down at you lovingly. 

Making sure to document this moment you took your phone out of your pocket and took as many pictures as you could. Once making sure this moment would never be forgotten you finally decided to head back inside to warm up. 

Izuku made some hot chocolate for everyone before you all sat on the couch and threw on a Christmas movie. With the love that surrounded you it wasn’t long before you closed your eyes and fell asleep cuddling with two of your favorite people on the planet.

Masterlist

Taglist: @moonlightaangel​ @dabilove27​ @cathy8taffy​ 22 spots open

Beta reader: @class1-a

[mysticalrunawayprincess]

Everything He Ever Wanted

Hi Guys! This is a new Jay Park fanfic I’m working on (because we are in a serious shortage and us girls need our fantasy fix!) Its about Jay falling in love and wanting to settle down, and all the headache and heartache that ensues (cue lots of angst, sexy times and love :P). I post the stories on Wattpad as I’m not sure if I’d be able to post the full story on here (Tumblr guidelines and stuff) but I am going to be posting the first chapter here and then every time I publish a new chapter I’ll post the links for you to read. The story is for 18ANDOVER! If you are not 18 this story isn’t for you (sorry). And Jay if you are reading this: its pure fantastical fiction! I don’t mean to embarrass or cast aspersions on you in any kind of way. If you are reading this (PLEASE dont lol), I hope I did your fantasy character justice :P. For the rest of you, happy reading!

Oh BTW: New Chapters every Friday, but you get this one a day early just because I love y’all!!! xxxxxxxxxx

1. Home Is Where The Heart was

An exhausted sigh left Jay's lips in a rush, as he entered through the  open door and dropped his bags on the heated marble flooring.

Having been away on tour for 6 weeks Jay had a lot of bags to carry; all heavy, all full of laundry.

He paused and took a breath in, savouring the smell of home, the smell of Her.

She  hadn't been home in a long time. This was no longer to be Her home;  hell it hadn't even been Her "home" for longer than a few weeks, most of  which she had spent elsewhere (or rather somewhere else). But since She  had been the last person in the house before Jay had left for the tour,  Her scent still lingered. And it was this scent that invaded Jay's  senses, coiling around his synapses and holding them at ransom as his  mind cast back to the last moment he saw Her.

Jay stood watching   Her leave through the polished glass doors of his office building, Her   words still ringing in his ears like a death knell, "We can't do this   any more Jay, I have to go back and live my life..." She took a pause   here, her perfectly soft and plump lips quivering momentarily, almost as  if to hold Her back from completing the sentence,"... and you have to live yours."

Now the thing is, when Jay first saw Her walk  through the doors; Her soft hair in which he loved to bury his face now  framing Her face in a twist-out that beautifully rippled in the light  breeze of the evening night air as She stepped through the glass door,  his heart had soared and swooped the same way it did every day since the  very first day he had seen Her.

His face broke into an  unstoppable smile as he outstretched his arms to embrace Her,   automatically breathing in Her scent as She stepped into his embrace,   clinging to him as though She would be otherwise flung into the furthest  reaches of space.

Jay hadn't noticed the shine of unshed tears  demanding to be released. He hadn't noticed the taxi outside, and he  certainly didn't know that it was taking Her to the airport.

He was oh-so blissfully unaware of  all of these little details.

She had been going back and forth with this for weeks, months even, ever  since  their relationship had first begun showing signs of becoming  more serious (unbeknownst to Jay). And try as She might, She knew this  couldn't work; there were too many moving parts, too many things to  consider and too many sacrifices to be made. She thought it best that  She end this now before it got too serious and whilst they were still  able to at least salvage some sort of friendship from the wreckage.

Noticing She was lost in thought, Jay nudged Her, asking if She were OK.

Now  on the way over here, She had already told herself  that She wasn't  going to cry and do the whole melodramatic stuff; that She was going to  keep it light and factual and hoped he would understand.

And so  when She quickly lifted Her head to meet his eye, Her face had already  settled into a bright and easy smile, belying the ton of bricks that She  was about to drop onto the smitten and unsuspecting Jay Park.

Now,  as he watched Her leave after begging Her to reconsider ("... you don't  have to do this..."). His heart beat harder with every step She took   to the waiting cab outside. He was frozen helpless, unable to stop this  series of Very Unfortunate and Fucked Up Events.

He watched the taxi drive away, taking with it the only piece of true happiness that he had ever felt in a long, long time.

And he had let it happen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The  vibration of Jay's phone broke him out of his reverie with a snap. He  thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled it out, glancing at the  screen as he made his way to the kitchen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

He paused with his hand on the handle of the refrigerator, his thumb hovering indecisively over the phone screen.

BZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

He  rolled his eyes and pressed the green button, putting the phone to his  ear at the same time as he pulled open the refrigerator door.

"Heeeeeyyyyyy  bro, whatcha doin'?" the gravelly voice of Jay's business partner Mike  came through the phone as vivid as if he were standing in the room,  rather than 5,000 miles away.

"Hey, Mike" Jay chuckled. "Not much, just got back."

"How was the tour?"

"Yeah it was good. The guys killed as usual," said Jay, into an empty fridge.

"Did you get any numbers?" Jay could practically hear the Cheshire Cat smile on Mike's face as he asked this question.

He  sighed as he closed the refrigerator door and made his way to the  living room. "No I didn't get any numbers Mike" Jay said, plopping down  dejectedly onto his plush sofa, allowing his head to fall back, eyes  staring straight at the ceiling.

"Jay, you are really wasting your unlimited pussy allowance, man!"  groaned Mike. Jay chuckled in response, closing his eyes and wearily  raising a hand to rub them. "Dude you should be literally DROWNING in  pussy!"

"I'm too busy for all that extra shit, Mike." Jay sighed.

"Extra  shit? Dude." Mike was all seriousness now, leaving a pause so pregnant  that it caused Jay to sit up and open his eyes. "You are never, too  tired, for pussy!" Jay fell back into his original position, another  exhausted sigh leaving his lips as he landed except this time, he had a  little smile on his face.

Mike's dry humour was a welcome salve right now anyway.

"Plus, Jay; I'm married."

"I know Mike."

"So that means I'm living vicariously through you, my dude!"

"Mike-"

"Look,  forget about all that anyway" Mike interrupted Jay, sensing he was not  perhaps his usual playful self and wondering if he had perhaps struck a  nerve.

Mike was quite intuitive, even if he sometimes came off as  oblivious. In his world, he found that feigning ignorance can sometimes  be a better strategy around people, especially when dealing with the  types of sensitive and high-flying businessmen he was used to dealing  with on a daily basis.

Or when his friend had something - or  someone - on his mind that may need to be discussed away over copious  amounts of alcohol sometime in the near-future.

"Remember you  have the interview with Vogue Korea about the new AOMG site and app,"  said Mike making a mental note to revisit this again at a later time.

"Yeah" sighed Jay gratefully, thankful for the change in subject. "When is it again?"

"Friday. 9.30AM"

Jay pulled his phone away from his ear and checked the screen. The interview would be in three days time.

"Cool, my assistant already has the details anyway. I'll check my emails to see when the car will be arriving."

"Sweet. Hit me up later, so we can talk a bit about the Nike deal. But until then; GET SOME SLEEP."

Click

Mike ended the call.

Jay  allowed the phone to slide from his ear onto the sofa next to him,  bringing both hands up to gently rub his face before dropping his head  back and allowing his arms to drop onto the sofa back. The huge floor to  ceiling windows directly opposite bathed him in the light of the  setting sun, as he allowed his exhausted and aching body to sink deeper  into his seat.

As his mind drifted, he remembered a particular  evening spent on this same sofa during a thunderstorm not too long after  he had first met Her. In fact, there were many evenings he remembered  being spent on this sofa (not all of them as innocent as the particular  evening he currently had in mind however, but all of them just as  enjoyable).

Sharing one of those huge soft furry blankets that  She loved so much, with a low fire burning in the marble wood-burning  fireplace to the right of them.

She had been drinking Jack  Daniel's, and he had been drinking soju, both just talking to and laughing with each other in an atmosphere of comfortability, while   outside torrential rain pounded against the monolithic windows and   brilliant forks of lightening spilt the charcoal grey and roiling sky,   causing occasional rolls of thunder which reverberated throughout the   building.

The dichotomy of the chaos on one side of the window pane, versus the serenity on the other hadn't been lost on either of them.

Every  now again She would interrupt the freely-flowing conversation to point  out a particularly spectacular lightning strike or a close roll of  thunder would make Jay jump, which he would then try to disguise by  acting as though he was just moving positions on the couch or picking  up/putting down his glass (which She very politely acted like She did  not notice, or turned away to hide Her smile - which he had gratefully   appreciated).

Her being in Jay's house had been perfectly  innocent at the time, having being introduced through his artist Jarv  Dee, Jay had innately felt at ease around Her. She had an easy-going and  relaxed nature, with a quick wit and genuine smile. He became further  intrigued when he found out that She was a full-stack developer and  promptly discussed possibly working together on something some time.  Which is how the new AMOG website and H1gher app came about.8

That was exactly one year ago from today and 5 months from the day She ripped out Jay's heart and stomped all over it.

"We can't do this Jay..."

Her words echoed around his head like a death knell.

Jay  had spent every waking moment carefully analysing every detail of their  interactions - every facial expression, every vocal inflection - in the  hopes of being able to at least understand WHY She had done this.

Did he say something - do something - to scare her off?

How, when things were going so good between them, could she just end everything and leave so suddenly?

Jay  was aware that he was getting older but, he hadn't really ever thought  of what the future would look like for him and who he would want to  settle down with. The kind of jet-setting lifestyle Jay led meant he had  the luxury of being able to avoid thinking about such things under the  guise of being "too busy".  And with the fast life Jay led, the women he  came across had been just as fast.

That is until he had met Her.

Meeting Her had made him truly question his life dynamic, made him want to change his dynamic.

Made  him think about when would be the time to put down the mic for good and  step back to make way for the younger artists coming up behind him?

Jay  had almost single-handedly built an entire musical empire in a foreign  land, which meant he really had to think about who it was he wanted to  share that with.

A thought he had never needed to have before Her.

She  had awakened something in him that he had been confident was dormant,  something which he had convinced his concerned parents and nagging  brother he wasn't quite ready for.

She made him think more of the life after. After all the parties, interviews, world travelling, and screaming fans.

Of the life he lived when he was just Jay, the dorky kid from Seattle.

Who did he want to come home to? Who did he want waiting for him when the lights had faded and the music stopped?

The  morning after the lightening storm had been the first time Jay had  woken up to Her. They had fallen asleep where they sat in Jay's plush  sofa, having spent the evening bonding over their respective careers,  old 90s RnB and alcohol. Seeing her head resting upon the opposite  armrest of his sofa, the golden rays of the early morning sun  illuminating the golden undertones of Her skin, made something inside  him sing. He knew he liked having Her around, liked hearing Her voice,  liked knowing she was OK.

He loved being in her presence, hearing Her laugh, seeing Her focused frown whilst She was working.

He loved smelling Her, breathing Her in whenever he could.

He loved hearing Her footsteps on his hardwood floor.

He hated not knowing why it went wrong.

But  in just a few days the H1gher app and new AOMG website was due to go  live, meaning She would be coming back to Korea for the launch.

Meaning She and Jay would be in each other's company for the first time since Her departure.

Meaning Jay would not only have to face Her, but once She left he'd have to relive the pain of her leaving all over again.

Jay groaned inwardly.

This should be fun, he thought humourlessly.

Jay reached for his phone beside him and dialled an all too familiar number.

"Hello?" Came the answer down the line.

"Hey, is she free?"

"Good evening, Mr Park. Yes she is free. Regular timing?"

Jay let out a barely audible sigh, his 1000th in the 45 minutes he'd been home. He wouldn't need too long. "Yeah."

"She will arrive in 30 minutes."

Jay ended the call.

He  stood and made his way to his drinks cabinet, pouring himself some  Hennessey before walking over to the window to take a sip, surveying the  evening sky and awaiting his visitor.

The objective of the visit was purely for the purposes of release.

And as Jay's buzzer rang twenty-five minutes later, he knew that's all anyone who wasn't Her could offer him.

[theshadowbastard]

The Top 8 Frankenstein Movies

8. Victor Frankenstein (2015)

This movie got a pasting from critics upon release, but I couldn’t care less, because I had a ball watching this.  Mainly designed as a showcase for the stars Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy, the result isn’t exactly highbrow cinema but if you’re looking for a fun trip filled with hammy acting, overwrought (and overwritten) dialogue, and some pretty neat special effects, you could do a lot worse.

7. Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Of the 7 movies made by Universal Studios featuring the Frankenstein monster between 1931 and 1948, only the first three are really worth your time, and of those the third film, Son of Frankenstein, is easily the weakest, but it’s not without its strengths, mostly in the form of the performances of Basil Rathbone as the titular sire and especially Bela Lugosi as the malignant Ygor.  The infamous star of Dracula is all but unrecognizable under a brilliant makeup design, and gives a magical performance that’s about as far removed from Dracula as anything he ever did.  The big downside of Son is the monster himself, who is barely in the film and spends most of it lying motionless on a table.  Boris Karloff turned 50 while shooting, and decided to never play the creature he made famous again after this flawed but fun film.

6. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)

As the title implies, this is a (fairly) faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s original novel, and while a lot of the subtext of the story is lost beneath the weight of director and star Kenneth Branaugh’s ego and abs, the movie has a captivating quality and is gorgeously shot, and Robert DeNiro turns in a surprisingly nuanced and emotional performance as Victor’s patchwork creation.  It’s a little oversexed and too self-consciously operatic at times, but it’s still one of the better stabs at bringing the actual text to the screen, even with the ridiculous electric eels.

5. Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)

Hammer studios made a bunch of Frankenstein movies throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s, and while none of them ever quite managed to capture the spirit of their first, they came up with some clever ideas, and none more so than the bizarre, inspirational, ingenious and insane Frankenstein Created Woman, a film that dares to ask the question “So you figured out how to bring the dead back to life--what next?”  The answers this film explores are chilling, awe-inspiring, horrific and at times borderline blasphemous in their implications.  And while it’s not a perfect film (two minds/souls in the same body gets kind of confusing), it’s compelling ideas and strong performances more than compensate.

4. Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks’ loving tribute to the Universal Frankenstein films might be in it for the laughs (”SAID-A-GIVE?!”), but at it’s heart is a keen understanding of the themes of the Frankenstein story and why they’ve worked so well for so long.  The cast is perfect, with each character instantly hilarious and iconic, from Marty Feldman’s endlessly-quotable Igor to Gene Wilder’s over-the-top Frederick Fronkonsteen to Cloris Leechman’s masterclass in comedic timing as Frau Blucher, but the real standout is Peter Boyle as the monster, who is quite possibly second only to Boris Karloff as the most effective Frankenstein monster we’ve ever seen.  

3. Frankenstein (1931)

It was not the first Frankenstein movie (there were a couple of silent shorts), but it was the first that mattered; the one that change the whole game.  Crackling electrical lab equipment, thunderstorms, grave robbing, grisly murders, blasphemous implications and truly inspired performances--audiences of the time had never seen anything like this, and the movie was a box office sensation that led to a whole slew of horror and gothic-themed movies in the early 1930s.  James Whale’s direction is clever, creative and just unusual enough to make the movie still a lot of fun to watch today.  Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein is superb, giving us a nuanced and relatable Frankenstein that gets to speak what is arguably the most famous line in horror movie history (”IT’S ALIVE!”).  The sets and cinematography are stunning, cementing the “Hollywood Gothic” style that would dominate horror cinema for the next three decades, and the special effects were striking for their time.  But standing above it all was Boris Karloff’s shocking, heartbreaking, horrifying, unparalleled performance as the Monster.  Overnight the heretofore little-known actor became a star and, with the help of a once-in-a-generation makeup job from the legendary Jack Pierce, set in stone the image of the Frankenstein monster that would stick in the public consciousness for all time.

2. Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Legend has it that Universal Studios sent a letter to the heads of Hammer Films that essentially said, “If you do ANYTHING that even remotely resembles our Frankenstein movie, we’ll see you Brits in court.”  But Hammer had entirely different ambitions, choosing to ditch the look, style, and structure of the Universal movies entirely in favor of something much darker, more disturbing, and infinitely more violent.  While the classic Frankenstein movies of the 30s and 40s focused on the misadventures of the monster, Hammer chose to focus on the titular mad doctor.  This might have seemed like strange choice at the time, considering the rather bland parade of various Dr. Frankensteins we’d seen in the Universal films, but actor writer Jimmy Sangster, director Terrence Fischer, and especially actor Peter Cushing went for something completely different.  Cushing’s Victor Frankenstein is nothing less than a vile, contemptible bastard, remorselessly murdering people for spare parts for his pathetic monster; a monster who is killed and brought back to life several times over, and used by the villainous doctor as a tool to dispatch his enemies and those who threaten his work.  This film took the conventions of the Frankenstein story audiences were then used to and knifed them in the face, and the result was a spectacular success with people lining up around the block to see this new level of ghoulish and bloody horror.  Throw out everything you think you know about the Frankenstein story and give this one a spin, if you’ve got the stomach for it.

1. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Seriously, what else was it gonna be? Let’s be honest here--horror sequels are usually crap.  Quickly churned out to make an even quicker buck, they’re rarely worth the film they’re shot on and very few are anywhere near as good as the original.  However, the only one that actually might be better that the original is the simply unique Bride of Frankenstein.  Whole books have been written about this movie, and to be honest there’s simply too much to talk about.  The themes of blasphemy.  The homosexual overtones.  The Faustian narrative about death and damnation.  The incredible performance of Ernest Thesiger as Doctor Pretorious.  The monster’s dialogue (”Friend...good!”)  The design of the titular Bride that kicked off a fashion craze.  Franz Waxman’s angelic soundtrack.  Any one of these topics is worth an essay all by themselves, but for me what really makes Bride a masterpiece is simply its heart.  No other film has explored the tragedy of the Frankenstein story as effectively as this, and no other film gets its moral message through as clearly: it’s the simpler things in life, like love and friendship that are truly important, and while the pursuit of knowledge may be a worth endeavor, those who pursue it to whatever evil and horrifying end are far more monstrous than any stitched-together being they shock into life.

[callalilyy]

Masterlist

Updated 12/28/19

💋smut

💕fluff

🖤yandere

💔 angst

What kind of yandere they would be🖤

You teasing them with kisses💕

Being Cuddle buddies💕

You playing off them confessing to you🖤

You letting go of their hand💕

Reaction to you hitting them 🖤

Reaction to their family not liking you 🖤

You sing for them 🖤

Finding out their s/o is obsessed with them 🖤

They have a nightmare about you dying 🖤

Waking up early on Christmas morning💕

Helping you take down your box braids💕

You begin to show them affection 💕

Talking about you 🖤

Picking you up from the police station 🖤

You say you hate him 🖤

You become spoiled 🖤

You’re sick 💕

You’re needy 💋

You get hit on while you’re together🖤

You have a panic attack because of them 🖤

Lost twin 🖤

You refuse them b/c you’re mad - Hyung line - Maknae line

You’re insecure about your stretch marks(black girl)🖤

You apologize to them wearing lingerie -Maknae line💋

After they kidnap you🖤

BTS as weather 💕

Just a dream💕

Thunderstorms💕

Questions🖤

Say Cheese💕

Do you really think you can get away from me? 🖤

Marks 🖤

If you leave me I’ll die 🖤

Runaway  🖤

Beg for it 💋

You’re not leaving me 🖤

Cake 💕

I’ve missed you 💕

Apologies💕

Break up 🖤

Dont test me : Part 1   Part 2   Part 3  Part 4🖤

He’s sick 🖤

You want to go clubbing 🖤

Tantrum 1 - Part 2 🖤

Sunshine 💕

Unaccomplished 1 2 💔

The Secretary 🖤

I’m Afraid   💕 💔

Mine 🖤

I hate it💋

Starving 

Brat 💋

Lies 🖤

For your protection 🖤

Work 🖤

I hate you 💋

Impatient  🖤 💕

Sleep Now💕

Do you really think you can get away from me? 🖤

Friends 💕 🖤

I miss you💕

Jealous🖤

Perfect Day💕

Audition🖤

Awake 💕

Alone Time 🖤

Ungrateful 🖤

It’s not my fault : Part 1 Part 2🖤

 i need you  🖤

If you leave me I’ll die  🖤

Be Gentle  🖤

I’m nothing 1 - Part 2  🖤

My Girl  Part 2 Taehyung vs. Jimin  🖤

Video Games 💋

Jealous  🖤

Demanding💋

Hurt  🖤

Bite  🖤

You Will  🖤

Fire  🖤

I could kill you: Part 1 Part 2  🖤

Cologne  🖤

My Girl  Part 2 Taehyung vs. Jimin  🖤

You want to go clubbing  🖤

“I want it, I got it”  🖤

Sneaky girl  🖤

Professor Kim💋

The Reporter💋

Poison  🖤

Too Bad: Part 1  Part 2 🖤

Gone  🖤

Gym  🖤

Love me 🖤

Until I Bleed   🖤

Be Gentle 🖤

Tell me  🖤

Injured💕

Not your fault  🖤

Hiding : Part 1 Part 2  🖤

Nothing wrong💕

Proud of you💕

Allowance  🖤

Tour 🖤 

Arrested 🖤

Addicted - Jungkoon Fanfiction: 🖤 💕

1 2 3 4 5 6

Seokjin:

Namjoon:

Releasing Mono💕

Yoongi:

The night before he leaves for tour 💔

Yoongi won’t let you drink coffee anymore 💕

You think Yoongi is with someone else💕

Hoseok:

Jealous of you spending time with Jimin  🖤

Jimin:

Jimin S/O wanting matching hair colors💕

Taehyung:

You accidentally send him a sexy picture while drunk 💕

Jungkook:

Come to bed  💕

I thought you didn’t like cats💕

All:

You're jealous of their new friendship💕

Just Friends - Seokjin - Yoongi - Hoseok - Namjoon - Jimin - Taehyung - Jungkook- pt 2 💕 💔

Yandere Profiles - Seokjin - Yoongi - Hoseok - Namjoon - Jimin - Taehyung - Jungkook  🖤

Magic Shop ( Short Story ) - 1  2  3  4  5  💕

[skruttet]

I flicked through the Tuula Karjalainen book and read bits and pieces of it already and there’s this one section about homosexuality in it that I found really interesting so I thought I’d post it here, even though it’s a bit long oops, in case any of y’all were interested in reading it! Like, I never knew Tove had a gay cousin whom Tove was supportive of in terms of her lesbian identity and whose partner wrote a dissertation on Tove’s books?? So fascinating! Also was not expecting the sentence “The Hattifatteners resemble a wandering flock of penises or condoms”; usually they’re referred to more subtly with words like ‘phallic’ but not here xD

OPEN AND CLOSED

Many researchers have looked for references to homosexuality in Tove’s writings. Although she did not talk about it in public, she made no attempt to conceal it either, and her relationship with Tuulikki Pietilä was known to everyone. The two women took part in official state events such as the President’s Independence Day ball, where they were clearly the first to attend the event officially as a lesbian couple. Their relationship was so open and obvious it was that it was not newsworthy. It was hard to build a scandal on something that everyone knew - even the press, which liked to chase stories of that kind.

Psychological explanations of various kinds often have a chapter of their own in the analyses of Tove’s books, and sometimes unusual views have been expressed. The Swedish scholar Barbro K. Gustafsson earned her doctorate in 1992 from Uppsala University’s Theological Faculty with a dissertation on Tove’s books for adults. She made a special study of The Doll’s House, Sun City, ‘The Great Journey’ and Fair Play, and although her thesis also covered the Moomin stories, they were dealt with more briefly.

Perhaps surprisingly, Tove agreed to be interviewed by Gustafsson during her research work, and even participated in it actively by attending Gustafsson’s dissertation defence. The fact that Tove was prepared to do this may partly be explained by a family connection: Gustafsson was the partner of Tove’s beloved cousin Kerstin. When Kerstin, from a religious family, had realised that she was lesbian, Tove had been extremely supportive. Tove and her friends also helped Kerstin with many issues related to her lesbian identity.

Tove refused to give any public interviews about the dissertation defence, and did not want to talk about her private life or relationships. She returned to Finland as soon as the defence and the celebrations for Gustafsson’s Ph.D. were over, though she did issue a press release. In it she followed convention, thanking Gustafsson for the clarity of her book and her extensive knowledge of the subject - she had, Tove thought, succeeded in uncovering a rarely explored area of the unconscious. She also said that though much was written about authors, it was perhaps best done after their death, if at all. As if to soften the blow, she stressed the degree of trust between herself and Gustafsson. She said that following the progress of the research had been like an adventure, and that it had almost allowed her to see herself as a pioneer.

In her study, Gustafsson focuses on a dream that Tove had in the 1930s and found strangely threatening. In it she had seen large, black, wolf-like dogs on a seashore at sunset. A psychologist had explained to her that the dream was about repressed drives and forbidden sensuality.

In her thesis, Gustafsson is perhaps prone to detect elements of homosexuality too easily in very ordinary matters connected with the sea and archipelago life. She also discussed the wild animals that Tove often returned to both in the Moomin books and in her works for adults. In Moominland Midwinter the dog Sorry-oo wants to join the wolves and learn to howl like them. The story concerns the desire to leave the species into which one has been born, something that proves impossible. In The True Deceiver, the wolfhound plays a central role in the power relationship between the two women. Numerous readers have seen allusions to homosexuality in the comic strip about a little dog that falls in love with a cat. It realises that the love is wrong and becomes depressed. In the end the cat turns out to be a dog in disguise. This time the problem has a simple solution.

In Tove’s books there are repeated descriptions of people or Moominvalley creatures becoming ‘electric’, and this is clearly an important theme in her writing. The Hattifatteners resemble a wandering flock of penises or condoms - in thunderstorms they become electric, and then burn anyone who gets close to them. It is very easy to imagine that the electrification is an allegory for oestrus. The Mymble is also able to become electric - with her countless children she is the most sensual character in Moominvalley. The Whomper Toft in Moominvalley in November is the master of thunder and lightning. He lets the Creature out of a locked cupboard, and all that remains is a smell of electricity. The Creature runs away and grows even larger during thunderstorms, when lightning fills the sky, but is too big, angry and bewildered to be so big and angry. In ‘The Doll’s House’, electrification brings about a drama of jealousy between three men that leads to violence. There is a similar outcome in ‘The Great Journey’, where the mother feels the electrifying presence of her daughter’s female friend, whereupon the daughter becomes jealous.

Fair Play is a book about the relationship between two women in their seventies who are set in their ways, and their daily life together. Gustafsson uses the narrative to examine their mutual roles in the light of the old custom of categorising lesbians either as ‘femmes’ or ‘butches’, the latter having more masculine traits - a way of seeing a relationship between two women as a copy of a heterosexual one. Jonna and her prototype Tuulikki correspond to the ‘butch’ profile. Tove also portrayed Tuulikki as Moominvalley’s Too-ticky, a rather burly, masculine figure who keeps a knife in her belt.

Quoting Lord Alfred Douglas and the line of verse that was mentioned at the indecency trial of Oscar Wilde, Gustafsson writes that homosexual love is the love that does not dare speak its name. Although the time in which Tove lived was quite different from Wilde’s, there were similar prejudices and tensions in society - and, of course, they influenced her writing. Over the centuries women were not expected to write blatant erotic descriptions, but had instead to express themselves in allegorical terms. It was supposed that they did experience such feelings - and even more so when they were the result of unlawful love.

Tove’s books contain no openly erotic episodes or writing of a sexual nature and in this her writing is typical of women’s literature of her time. Sometimes it feels as though the characters in her books have to some extent been freed from sexuality. Their relationships are based more on understanding and friendship than on ardent passion, though their jealousy can sometimes take violent forms. Many things are veiled in highly metaphorical language. In the books that Tove wrote for adults, male and female couples are portrayed interchangeably without particular emphasis. In many of her books, as in her life, homosexuality was so natural that there was no need to make a fuss about it. While it was not to be denied, it was not to be given a high profile either. It was almost as though she backed out of dealing with her sexuality too openly, and in fact she forbade her biographer to write about her love affairs. Since the biography was written for children, this kind of advance censorship was possible.

In the story ‘The Great Journey’ (’Den stora resan’), two women in their seventies, Rosa and Elena, together with Rosa’s mother, live a life of humdrum joys and sorrows and work on their creative tasks. Among all three, physical love is a taboo subject. Elena asks Rosa: ‘What does she know, in any case? Nothing. She doesn’t know anything about such matters.’ The two women are unable to show their feelings for each other if Rosa’s mother is present. They plan a holiday together, but Rosa changes her mind and goes away with her mother instead. She remembers the promise she made in the nursery: ‘I’ll take you with me, I’ll steal you from Papa, we’ll go to a jungle or sail out on the Mediterranean... I’ll build you a castle where you shall be queen.’

Organisations that promoted sexual equality in Finland and the Nordic countries gave Tove awards for her pioneering work on behalf of sexual minorities, and she has certainly been an extremely important role model and author in the gay community. She had the ability to be completely open, yet at the same time quite private - as in the case of the dissertation, when she gave Gustafsson interviews and took part in the defence, but would not agree to answer questions from journalists who were interested in her private life. In relation to her lesbian identity, as shown by this very situation, she sometimes came out of the closet, and at other times she concealed the truth.

Tove’s homosexuality inspired a great many researchers and readers to look for the most varied interpretations. Perhaps her slightly sardonic attitude to this excessive interest can be seen in her song ‘Psychomania’ (’Psykofnattvisan’), written in 1963 for the revue Krasch and set to music by Erna Tauro. The song is like an obscure parody, in which psychoanalytic terms form a wild, cacophonous reality all of their own. It is as though she is drifting among people who are intently looking for something and who begin to see the signs of it everywhere. In fact, they can no longer see anything else because their heads are filled with ‘psychomania’. The song is a lengthy one, and operates on many levels. It also demonstrates that its author was familiar with the psychological terminology of the day - Tove had always been fascinated by interpretations of the human mind and she knew the terminology back to front, so well in fact that she could play with it:

I pore and pore and where I pore the symbols gather more and more I sink right through the floor into depression and tendentious apperception...

-Tove Jansson: Work and Love by Tuula Karjalainen

[calamity-bean]

Reddie Fic Recs: Canon Divergent

Comprising stories that substantially alter the events of canon — typically so that Eddie survives the final showdown with Pennywise, because that’s the kind of content I crave. Includes ones set during the events of the film(s) as well as ones set in the future that use the premise that Eddie didn’t die. For stories in which Eddie dies like in canon but doesn’t necessarily stay dead, check out my Canon Compliant recs.

This is a mixture of complete works and WIPs, of various ratings and lengths, mostly recent (like, posted since the release of Chapter 2). If part of a series, I’ve listed only the first work. More possibly to be added at any time I feel like it!

the anatomy of a joke by crescenteluce

He trails off and Bev raises an eyebrow. ‘So, you being in bed together fits in there how exactly?’

‘No, Jesus, Bev.’ Eddie says and Richie, horrifyingly, feels his cheeks heat under Bev’s suspicious look. Something needs to be done, so he plucks Eddie’s phone from his hands.

‘I am appalled by your implications, Beverly.’ He says sternly, trying to ignore the blood still not quite done rushing to his face. ‘I would have you know that I’d never defile Eddie like that, the poor man’s 40 year old and still a virgin and if I’d have the honor of-’

He’s cut off by Eddie trying to wrestle the phone away from him as Bev cackles delightedly.

and they read off our names by liquidsky

Eddie survives.

Part 1 of that ends well to end up with you

Button Up Your Overcoat by stitchy

“It’s just a gut check, there is no gun to your balls here,” says Richie. "But if you were gonna be a dad... what do you think you’d like about it?”

Eddie glances at the dog, who just looks back at him like, I dunno, man, he didn’t clear this with me. I thought we were just hanging out and watching some Treehouse of Horror tonight.

Call It What You Want by hannahberrie

They’re just staring at each other in the middle of a crowded New York train station, and it’s almost midnight. There’s supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight, according to the forecast, but Eddie can’t really remember that right now.

In which, after separating from Myra, Eddie goes to stay at Richie's place in Manhatten.

Cards on the Table by jendavis

Ben had kissed Bev, and it had brought her back from the deadlights. Eddie tries the same thing with Richie. Richie comes out of it knowing how to kill it, and knowing that he'd just seen Eddie die.

He's kind of a mess. It's kind of Eddie's fault.

Part 1 of Writing on the Wall

Cruel Summer by actuallymaxie

Richie used to call it an itch. Eddie makes him feel like it’s something else. It’s one thing to feel it. It’s something else to be able to say it out loud.

Or: Eddie doesn’t die. That doesn’t mean there’s a happily ever after. Not right away, at least.

for better, for worse by kaspbrak_kid

Eddie's done a fucking lot of brave things in the past year and a half. He did a lot of brave things in Derry, and then left his wife and started therapy and came to Ben and Bev's wedding even though he's been in love with his best friend for somewhere between six months and thirty years. Even though he knew it'd be fucking hard. He's not sure how many brave things he has left in him.

hoping to be found by eddiespaghetti (foxwatson)

When everything in Derry is said and done, Eddie really doesn’t know what the fuck to do. He goes back to New York, alone, because he doesn't have any other immediate options - and he heals.

i am easy to find by zach_stone

Or, 25-year-old Richie Tozier doesn't know why he can't remember his childhood, or why he has nightmares about yellow eyes looming in the dark. Then he finds an old photo of friends he can't remember, and things start to change. A "what if Richie and Eddie found each other again during the 27 years" fic.

If You Believe by websters_lieb

What if Eddie held on just a little bit longer? What if the losers figured out how to kill it just a little bit earlier? What if Eddie made it out of Neibolt, injured and barely holding on, but alive?

When Eddie emerges from the cavern to see Richie floating, he just about shits himself.

Part 1 of The Ever After

In Case Of Emergency Contact E.Kaspbrak by stitchy

It wasn’t immediately obvious to the Losers that something was wrong with Richie after the Deadlights. After all, his eyesight had always been shit.

in the heat of the summer (you're so different from the rest) by kaboomslang

There’s a heatwave in L.A., the first time Richie sees Eddie naked.

or

One very hot year in the life of two idiots in love, working shit out.

In This Cold Heart by pineapplecrushface

The future Richie sees while he's caught in the deadlights gives him a chance to save Eddie. In the year afterward, they both try to follow Stan's advice.

it’s about time that you just unwind by fuckener

“It sucked to tell people,” Richie said suddenly, tapping a finger on his glass. He was avoiding eye contact again. “Like - it just really fucking sucked. I’m old. I’m like middle-aged. You’re this old and you just start telling people you're gay, they think, ‘Jesus! That dude’s got issues.’ Because they’re right, and you do.”

“It must have come as a real shock to our friends,” Eddie said, staring. “That you have issues.”

it’s coming out backwards by banksoflochlomond

The problem is that he’s known it his entire life. Or at least as long as Eddie started sputtering after Richie’s “your mom” jokes. As long as Eddie, with his small delicate fucking body, muscled up to him and told Richie he was gonna get herpes from licking the swingset. As long as Richie’s known his button nose, still nice as shit after twenty-seven fucking years.

But Richie’s never said it out loud. Never let himself feel it, except when he had to. Maybe that’s why Richie was so good at forgetting Derry. He never wanted to remember. Never wanted to deal with the albatross he’d pretty much surgically attached to his back.

He’s got to, though. Say it out loud. Say it to Eddie.

(Or, Eddie survives. The road for Richie isn't any easier, though.)

it’s time the kid got free by zach_stone

But now he remembers his childhood, and the fierceness of all the emotions he felt back then — love most of all. Love was a blood oath, it was Bev handing him the fencepost that could kill monsters, it was what made him throw that fencepost into Its gaping maw to save Richie from the deadlights.

When it comes to what love feels like for Eddie, it’s always been — different, with Richie. He loves all of his friends with all of his heart, but Richie has burrowed in deeper, somehow, and if Eddie were a more dramatic or poetic man he might say he loves Richie in his bones, in his soul. But he isn’t, so he doesn’t say that, even if he maybe thinks it a little bit and feels ridiculous.

just be still with me by eddiespaghetti (foxwatson)

Eddie Kaspbrak is 38, working as a driver in New York. Richie Tozier is a stand up comic who comes to New York on a one way ticket to audition for SNL, and his agent has hired Eddie as his driver. There's something familiar about Richie, though Eddie knows they've never met. While Richie insists on sitting in the front seat and making something more than small talk, Eddie struggles to maintain professional distance.

Basically - what if Eddie and Richie did forget, and didn't see each other for 25 years, but they fell in love anyways.

Part 1 of i can stare for a thousand years (you wouldn't believe what i've been through)

The Kids Table by stitchy

For the most part Richie and his sister have a doctrine of mutually assured destruction. They could obliterate each other with their parents given the slightest provocation. To keep things at an even keel, they steer clear of each other as much as possible every other day of the year, but on Thanksgiving? Kids Table is like their NATO.

A series of Tozier Thanksgivings, from '85 to '19.

last ones out by gayingenue

Richie wonders if it’s always been this hard for him to touch Eddie. It hasn’t; they were incredibly touchy as kids, falling all over each other, gangly limbs intertwined. Even as adults, a few days before, Richie had barely been able to keep his hands off of him. Eddie almost dying did something, though. Chipped away at something deep within Richie. From the bed, Eddie laughs.

Like Pulling Teeth by  stitchy

“Jesus Christ,” Eddie muttered. Maybe there was a curling iron around here somewhere he could electrocute himself with. He scrounged a few safety pins from the counter and passed them to Bev without looking directly at Richie. He knew he was being a little bitch, but he could not let on how jealous he was. Their friendship barely survived the Christmas Richie got a Sega.

- In which Eddie mistakes wanting to be ON Richie for wanting to BE Richie -

Love It If We Made It by areyoureddiekids

Eddie lives. Richie stumbles through being in love with the man who used to be, and could still be, his best friend, and maybe something more. This is how they find each other again as adults, in the aftermath of finally killing It.

men who are afraid of the light by beepbeep (aceface)

Eddie survives.

“Well,” says Richie. “I wanted to fuck Paul Bunyan and nothing turns you off your homosexual urges like a murder clown filling his mouth with dagger teeth. Can you imagine those wrapped around your dick? Worst blowjob ever.”

Missing the Boat by stitchy

About a year after Derry, the Losers plan a cruise to Bev and Ben's destination wedding. Cross country travel being the bitch it is, Richie and Eddie miss the boat and get stranded until they can catch a flight out to Hawaii. It's a blast from the past Good Time TM, but Eddie wants to know- why has Richie been so distant?

Part 1 of Missing the Boat 

My Four Leaf Clover by pineapplecrushface

After Derry, Eddie starts dreaming, gets his shit together, and figures out how to live.

New Page, Same Old Book by Rend_Herring

He thought he’d hidden these feelings from himself, stowed them away in some dark corner and learned not to think about it. But the second Eddie peaked in from around the corner at the Jade and looked at Richie with those big, limpid pools of Christmas Orphan meets Bambi, and started rambling about gluten and cashews, it all came flooding back into focus. Richie has loved Eddie so long that it’s become an ache that goes beyond reason.

no sense of living without aim by Anonymous

Eddie had been on grindr for all of two days and in that time he’d already seen more dicks than he had in the nearly forty years of his life. He’d gone methodically through his messages and blocked all the catfishes, the possible serial killers and the bores, and eventually settled on a promising ‘37. DTF. I'll make u a drink after’ (637 feet away).

Or, sometimes your long-lost childhood crush is the anonymous hook-up you meet along the way.    

not quite young by saintsrow2

Richie was sitting in a chair in front of a dressing table, looking into the lit-up mirror while he sipped a glass of amber bourbon. He looked up when Eddie walked in and then there were no words; neither of them had thought this far ahead. Eddie stood awkwardly in the open door, feeling very much like he was still waiting for the big prank to be revealed, for there to be machinations behind all of this that he couldn’t understand. “Hey, Trashmouth,” he said, eventually. “Hey, Eds,” Richie said. “You know I always hated being called that,” Eddie said. “Not when it’s me.”

An AU in which Richie and Eddie meet before Mike calls them all back to Derry, the affair that follows, and the consequences both of them want to ignore.

Richie and Eddie Outrun the Devil (in Richie’s Rental Car) by sofia_estrella

“If It’s trying to kill us, I don’t want to get on an airplane.”

“Air travel is statistically safer than—”

“Eds, please. I don’t think I can handle a cross-country flight by myself right now. There isn’t enough Ambien in the world.”

Eddie snorts. “What are you gonna do then?”

“Drive, I guess.”

“You’re gonna… drive… to L.A.?”

+ alternate title: An Evil Clown Can’t Kill You If You Drive Fast Enough

(Stand-Up) Routines & (Engagement) Rings by cajungirlkye

2 years after the events of IT: Chapter Two, Richie brings Eddie out on stage during one of his stand-up performances in order to ask a Very. Important. Question.

sweet as cherry wine by pearlshop

“Can I come in?” Eddie asks, teeth chattering. He’s soaked to the bone, a cornflower blue polo clinging to his small shoulders. It’s the only thing he’s wearing besides a pair of khakis that are also soaked through. Richie is suddenly very sober. “Eds?” or: Eddie leaves Myra and shows up at Richie's door.

Things that Happen after Eddie Lives by IfItHollers

In a world where Richie manages to save Eddie from It after the deadlights, they still have problems on their to-do list. Featuring everything from Derry to Los Angeles—Richie Tozier's murder trial, Eddie Kaspbrak's divorce proceedings, bedsharing of the platonic and non-platonic varieties, an investigation of magic, a truly disgusting séance, the quintessential morosexual road trip, and OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES.

Part 1 of Things that Happen After

we're f***ing killing it, babe by thenewlondoner (muleumpyo)

Richie has been back in Derry for three days and murdered an Eldritch horror-esque monster from space or possibly from some weird meta-verse, who knows, and faced both of his childhood fears of clowns and his own death, as well as the possibility of losing his first love just as he remembered they fucking existed, he’d like some slack cut for him on the emotional front, thank you!

OR

Eddie is dead, but the Losers carry him out of the house on Neibolt anyway. Which is good, because Eddie is not dead.

we were always here at the right time by fuckener

Eddie’s eyes were getting heavy again. Richie helped him back down to the pillow.

“It’s always kind of like this, isn’t it,” he mumbled.

Richie didn’t move. He was still holding Eddie’s hand, his shoulder.

“Like what?” he asked softly.

“You and me,” Eddie said. What else?

what doesn’t kill me (makes me want you more) by beautifulbane

Eddie survives. He goes back to New York and divorces Myra, but a part of him is still unhappy. It isn’t until he sees Richie a year later at Ben and Bev’s wedding that he realizes why.

you're already gone by ameliepoulain

You can never get enough, Robert Smith cries over the static, and Richie turns around wearing that dumb smile again.

All Eddie can think is: soon, all this will be gone.

You’re So Stupid by StilesBastille24

“Hey,” Richie greets brightly.

Eddie looks over, one hand reaching for the remote to turn off the tv. “They said their letting me out today,” he says, eyes narrowed as he peers over Richie’s shoulder. “You know, Derry’s hospital doesn’t even make the rank of top hospitals in Maine? I’ll be lucky if I’m not back in here from a fucking blood infection in two days.” He braces both of his palms against the mattress and tries to push himself further upright.

Richie swoops in before something horrific like split stitches can occur. “Cool it, Evel Knievel, or your going to be bleeding all over these perfectly white sheets, and then they’ll definitely think twice about letting you out of here.”