#the charioteer prompt week

[embrethil]

On a night like this, Ralph almost felt he was at sea again. The early storm howled over the streets, shaking loose broken tiles and overripe apples in gardens across the city. All was noise. The old house creaked and groaned in protest at its treatment. The wind moaned round the corners of the eaves. The rustling of the branches on the trees in the square sounded like waves on a stony shore.

The simple surroundings didn't immediately break the illusion. In the low lamplight the polished wooden furniture and narrow bed could easily be a tidy ship's cabin, if one didn't look too far. No, it was the stillness which reminded him that he was off the water. Standing to refill his glass, he'd braced himself for the roll of the deck and been briefly but utterly disoriented when the room failed to move around him.

The consolation should be that weather like this made a raid unlikely. Ralph couldn't draw his mind to that thought though. Out there in the wild night, Odell was tucked up in his bed in that temporary hospital, listening to the same storm. What was he thinking? And how soon would he see him again?

[argyleheir]

Drabble - Redux

[For Charioteer Prompt Week Day 1 - Prompt: AU and/or crossover | Pairing: Ralph/Laurie]

Amid the chaos of the crowded deck—out of the noise and the smoke and the pain: a face.

Beard. Blue eyes. Tan. Fair hair. That mouth—

Laurie'd know him anywhere. "Lanyon," he says, automatically, though it comes out as more of a croak. His voice is rough from misuse; but he has to say: "Please, Lanyon—let me come with you."

For a long moment, Lanyon simply stares down at him, quiet, quite surprised himself. Then he smiles, and it feels like the sun shinning, just as Laurie remembers. "That's right, Spud. We'll have you out of here yet."

[carrotcakecrumble]

I HATE THIS BUT ITS ALREADY THREE DAYS LATE AND I CAN’T TRY AND FIX RALPHS STIFF SILLY LITTLE SHOULDERS ANYMORE but anyway yay a modern Charioteer AU for day one of the prompt week🧎🏻‍♀️ that for some reason i only drew Ralph, Bunny and Nurse Adrian for🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️

[renaultphile]

Coffee shop AU has landed

@nurseadriansbrother thank you for inspiring this weird AU 💖

[call-me-strega]

Dc x Dp Prompt #3: Of Apples and Academic Frenemies

Au where Jason and Danny are attending the same college course on mythology and classical literature and they are always getting into debates about the depictions of the characters and the historical context of stories and stuff bc the both have a different exposure to the myths. Like Jason knows literal demigods and Amazons but Danny knows Pandora and the Greek myth related ghosts plus time travel from Clockwork and the infi-map. The debates can get heated at times but the respect each others intellectual takes.

This creates a peculiar situation where everyone in the class thinks they are academic rivals who hate each other (except for the few with their shipping goggles on and sense the homoerotic tension underlying their debates) and are deeply invested in watching them interact like their own personal drama even thought at this point in time they are at best friendly acquaintances and at worst annoying classmates.

Jason rants to his family about his debate partner/rival bc he’s happy to have some who will talk to him ad-nauseam abt this stuff but also bc he wants to complain about how Danny's a “smart but annoying little twink who’s got some real audacity”. And while the batfam is happy that Jason is experiencing some normal life things like an academic frenemy they’d love to stop hearing about this guy's “smug fucking smirk” and the “annoying gleam in his eyes". They are worried that Jason will snap and beat this guy up for being too annoying. Well, except Tim who thinks Jason would rather make out with this guy than debate with him.

One day the course decides to do a big themed party/fundraiser to save up for a class trip to an excavation site of some temple ruins or something. Both of them volunteer for the organizing committee bc of the offered extra credit. This encourages the two of them to start seeing each other more and to hang out outside of their classes so the can work on event planning. Over time they actually become pretty good friends (Danny's presence filters Jason's toxic ecto and cures pit rage due to increased exposure. It was happening anyways as classmates but the close proximity sped up the process) and Jason and Danny develop mutual crushes on each other.

For the event they do, like an Olympic games style format and have people sign up in teams for events a couple of weeks beforehand. Anyone in any sort of classical/mythology related course can join and they opened the event for public spectating. They have a few traditional events like a foot race, long jump and chariot race. But the also have some silly ones like Medusa's Snakes, where they shove their faces into bowls of whipped cream and fish out gummy worms, Pandora's Amphora, where they stick there hands into a box/jar of mystery contents (grapes, slime, a live animal like rats or kittens, a bunch of glitter, soda, etc.) and whoever keeps their hand in the longest wins, and Gladiator Fights, where they try to knock each other into a foam pit with those foam and rubber jousting sticks and the such.

Neither Danny, nor Jason want to participate for fear of their physical/supernatural abilities being discovered so the both get talked into doing the emceeing and commentary for the events. They make a really good duo, snarking and bantering with each other, playing off each other's energy and providing fun commentary to the events. Everyone, including the batfam who came to spectate, is a bit baffled by how well they are getting along bc last they checked these two were rivals of a sort, mildly annoying at best and actively antagonistic at worst. However, they really seem to be enjoying themselves.

The last event of the day is a trivia contest, which they both decide to take part in and let someone else take over the emceeing. The final winning trivia question is "what trope was falsely understood as a marriage proposal or declaration of love by misinformed media, that was actually closer to a ploy of seduction and indication of sexual desire according to Greek texts" and the both ring in at the same time to say "tossing an apple to someone" and an tie for the win. They both go up on stage to receive the prize (idk a gift card or smth) and shake hands before walking away in opposite directions.

Then suddenly Danny calls out to Jason just before he leaves the stage and chucks an apple he seemingly produced out of nowhere at him. The apple has a note with the time and date of a dinner reservation on it and when Jason looks back up at Danny he see the slightly flushed boy tentatively smiling at him.

" What do ya say Jase? Will you go out with me?"

And instead of replying Jason just straight up kisses him in front of everyone. Everyone else is gobsmacked by this whole turn of events except Tim who's cackling his head off, screaming "I FUCKING KNEW IT". When the two of them break apart they grin at each other widely and Jason drags Danny of the stage presumably to go make out somewhere.

[wolfwrenweek]

The prompts for the second annual WolfWren Week (Nov 11-15) have been decided! Our theme this year is Tarot Cards, meaning each day of the event will have prompts and a card to use for inspiration. Check out our full About & Rules for more! A text version of the prompt graphic can also be found below.

DAY ONE: November 11 The Moon | Lothal UPRIGHT: Illusion, fear, anxiety, subconscious, intuition REVERSED: Release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion

PROMPTS: “Are you following me?” I Can Make Her Worse Fighting as Flirting Touch Starved Eye Contact Vampire AU Sparring Hatefuck

DAY TWO: November 12 The Wheel of Fortune | The Eye of Sion UPRIGHT: Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point REVERSED: Bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles

PROMPTS: "You want to kiss me so bad it makes you look stupid.” You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling “Why are you looking at me like that?" Soulmate Identifying Mark Bounty Hunter AU Force Bond

DAY THREE: November 13 The Tower | Great Mothers' Fortress on Peridea UPRIGHT: Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening REVERSED: Personal transformation, fear of change, averting disaster

PROMPTS: "I'd let the world burn for you." “Don’t leave.” / “Please stay.” “I still hate you," "Good." Abandonment Issues Enemies to Lovers "I can help you." Sharing Clothes Injury/Healing Rebel Shin Cowboy AU

DAY FOUR: November 14 The Chariot | Thrawn's Star Destroyer UPRIGHT: Control, willpower, success, action, determination REVERSED: Self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction

PROMPTS: Put her canine teeth in the side of my neck To Be Loved Is To Be Changed “You came?” “You called.” "Going somewhere?” Trans Shin Hati / T4T Arranged Marriage Ancient Greece AU Body Worship Medieval AU

DAY FIVE: November 15 The Lovers | Sabine Wren / Shin Hati UPRIGHT: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices REVERSED: Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

PROMPTS: Shin through Sabine’s POV / Sabine through Shin’s POV “It's rotten work" "not to me, not if it's you" Accidental Co-Parenting/Co-Guardians Scissor Till The Cows Come Home Oh my god they were roommates… Florist/Tattoo Artist AU Shin Learning Mando’a Return to Mandalore Love at First Bite Domestic Life Post-Peridea

You can follow along with us on Twitter/X and Instagram as well 💚🧡 If you have any questions or concerns, our ask box is open! Don't forget to add #wolfwrenweek and #wolfwrenweek2024 onto anything you create as well! All the art featured in this post was created by the lovely @sapphicsparkles, don’t forget to go check out their other work too 🗡️

[jellyfitzjelly]

Here! Another prompt for you *throws it in the cage* it's fluffy!

Zevlor doing his rounds in the grove and finds you fast asleep somewhere random. Maybe a comfy hay bale (you were exhausted and just needed a nap!) There's a chill breeze so he takes his cape or cloak off and covers you with it.

(also can we talk about Zev wearing a cloak 😍 his tail curling up underneath it when it's cold! Ok ok I'm getting sidetracked).

You subconsciously snuggle up into it, breathing in his scent. It's the best sleep you've had in weeks!

Ok so this is my first time writing a reader fic, hope it's not too bad. 😬 Chose 3rd person POV because 2nd POV scary. Enjoy! [READ ON AO3]

Zevlor rubbed his eyes as he made his round of the grove. It was mostly quiet, with people either eating or napping. He wouldn't have minded a few hours of sleep, but he had things to do. He strolled around, making sure everything was going well. The druids were looking for any pretext to expulse them from the grove ever since Halsin disappeared. He may as well be dead, Zevlor thought grimly. The only friend he had made since Avernus had gone missing... The old Hellrider pushed those bleak thoughts away and tried to bask in the present. He soaked in the quietness of the grove.

He was so engrossed in it, in fact, that he all but jumped out of his skin when he spotted a form in the hay when he passed by a chariot full of it. He cursed in Infernal under his breath before realizing it was Tav. He chuckled, amused by the scene. Like a child, the hero of the day had fallen asleep nestled in a stack of hay. Ever since he had laid eyes on her, he had taken a shine to her against his best judgement. Zevlor was wise enough to know the feeling was one-sided: what would an incredible young woman like her do with someone like him?

She was fast asleep, curled up on herself. The cold breeze blew, and Zevlor tightened his cloak around him. He observed the young woman, dressed in nothing more than a light shirt and pants. By the nine Hells, was she trying to catch her death?! Youngsters thought themselves invicible. Sighing with exasperated fondness, the old Hellrider unbuttoned his cloak and came to cover Tav with it. She seemed to stir, mumbling "Wait, mum." before bundling herself in it completely. Zevlor couldn't help a fond smile. He left her sleep like this as he walked back to his cave, letting the young woman wrapped in his reassuring scent.

[steddieasitgoes]

Once In A Lifetime

Written for @steddiemicrofic September prompt charm | wc: 548 | rated: G | no cw A/N: Loosely inspired by a tweet, I saw yesterday.

Eddie used to think spending his days laying in bed was a pretty ideal way to live, but that was before he found himself fifteen days into a bed-ridden stay at Hawkins Memorial Hospital after nearly being turned to bat food in a hell dimension. There’s nothing great about this reality. No, it’s just another example of Eddie’s tremendous bad luck.

Though, maybe the universe has decided to cut him some slack because tonight he’s not being woken up by Nurse Patty stabbing his arm with an IV needle or Nurse Jen smacking her cinnamon-flavored gum as she notes his vitals. Instead, he’s jostled awake by his bed lifting and Steve Harrington standing over him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Eddie asks. “Visiting hours are over.”

“Good thing m’not staying long,” Steve says before disappearing into the hallway only to reappear with a wheelchair.

“So you’ve come to be my knight in shining armor and whisk me away in a chariot in the dead of night. Is that what this is?”

Steve gives him that deadpan look he often gives Dustin, and Eddie kinda wants to slap it off his face, but that requires more arm strength than he has, so he resigns to the look.

“Did Dustin not tell you the plan?”

The details of Dustin’s visit this morning are hazy. Probably because the kid showed up an hour into his morphine drip and also because he was rambling about some science-y nerd shit.

“That comet thing is tonight,” Steve says.

“Ah yes,” Eddie says, snapping his fingers with what little strength he possesses. “The “once in a lifetime” one I’d be stupid to miss even though I told him I plan to live to 95 to see the next one.”

“Not to be a dick or anything, but maybe you should focus on making it to 21 first.”

Eddie can’t help but snort. Steve has a point. At the rate he’s been going, he’ll be lucky if he makes it to his next birthday, let alone the next seventy.

“So, what exactly is the plan here, Steve-o? In case you forgot, I’ve been banished to this lovely bedchamber until my insides remember their jobs. And, even if you did get me in that damn chair, there’s no way Patty out there is going to let me leave.”

“She already agreed to let me take you to the parking lot for an hour.”

Eddie stares at Steve in complete bewilderment. “How did you manage that?”

“Turns out the Harrington charm still works on some people,” Steve says. “Now, let’s get you into this chair before Dustin bullies his way inside and ruins this whole thing.”

Thirty minutes, a prayer to a God neither really believes in, and a string of curses later, Eddie finds himself breathing fresh air for the first time in two weeks. The entire Upside Down gang is there, too. Dustin, of course, is in the center, briefing everyone on what to look for as they stare up at the night sky.

As a ball of blazing light passes over them, Eddie can’t help but tear his eyes away from the “once in a lifetime” comet and start at the “once in a lifetime” group of friends he’s now a part of.

[planetpiastri]

happy valentines day vinny !! 💝💝 may i request #88 kisses in which ‘i’ll kiss you right now to prove i don’t feel anything for you’ but the kiss proves the opposite from this list with hangman

loving you && i hope this week is treating you well so far! 🫶

beeeee!!! i love this request SO much omg. reading it back idk if it really captured the Vibe of the prompt buttt i hope you'll like it anyway<33 | [wc - 1.6k]

“Come on, then.” Hangman’s smile is confident and beautiful and infuriating. “Your chariot awaits.”

And he gestures at his bare shoulders.

You groan and roll your eyes, forcing yourself to look away from his glistening, naked torso protruding from the shallow end of the pool. It was a little frustrating to learn that he’d earned the right to feel so confident taking his shirt off in a crowd of people. The guy was an Adonis; his physique was almost unfair. Where did he even find time to do all that working out?

From your place on the side of the hotel pool, you pull your legs out of the water, not trusting Rooster not to pull you in against your will. “I’m good,” you say pointedly, scooting backwards on the tile.

The other pilots boo and make a general uproar, which draws a laugh out of you in spite of yourself. 

“You were the one that suggested we play chicken in the first place!” protests Fanboy, sending a gentle splash of water in your direction.

“Bob’s been doing a good job,” you say quickly, nodding your head towards the goggles-clad man leaning against the lip of the pool. “He and Hangman can team up against you guys.”

Hangman and Bob pull almost identical displeased expressions, which just makes you laugh again. Bob adjusts his goggles—which somehow make him look even dorkier than his usual clear frames—and says, “I’ve lost three times. I think everyone is tired of seeing me get knocked over.”

Hangman starts to wade through the shallow water, striding towards you. “Come on,” he says. “I promise not to let you fall. Just get in.” As he approaches, he shoots you a cocky wink. “I know you just don’t trust yourself to behave with your thighs wrapped around my head.”

“Oh my god!” you shout, your face burning as everyone laughs uproariously.

This is the usual when you hang out with the group. Everyone except for you is convinced that you’ve got it bad for Jake Seresin. You don’t, for the record. He’s frustrating and cocky and entirely too chiseled, and not your type, and you don’t have feelings for him! End of story!

But no one believes you. Least of all Hangman.

And you running around the pool, giggling stupidly while he chases you, certainly isn’t helping your cause.

So you get in the pool. And you climb up on his shoulders. And you play chicken against Rooster and Phoenix. And you don’t think about his hands splayed across your bare thighs and the muscles in his shoulders flexing under you and the way the sun glinting off the water in his hair turns him golden—

Phoenix shoves you hard and you topple backwards, landing in the water with a loud splash.

When you come up, everyone’s laughing and cheering. Hangman has his hand on your back, saying, “Sorry—are you okay?”

“Fine,” you splutter, wiping water from your eyes. “You said you wouldn’t let me fall.”

“My bad,” he chuckles, brushing some hair out of your face. “How can I get you to forgive me for letting you down?”

“We have to win at least one time,” you say, straightening up and knocking Hangman’s hand away from your face. “Turn around. Rooster! Phoenix! We’re going again!”

“Your funeral,” says Phoenix with a teasing shrug. She always gets this way during competitions. When you're on the same team, it's awesome. When you aren’t, it's was infuriating.

Without waiting for Hangman to drop down in the water, you place your hands on the smooth planes of his back and climb him like a tree, clambering your way onto his shoulders as he stumbles and laughs, reaching up to help where he can.

“Easy, now,” he says, his voice thick with amusement. “Let’s save that for when we’re alone, alright?”

“God, shut up,” you grumble, your heart pounding. You thread your fingers through his hair, holding tight as he and Rooster step towards each other, squaring off.

Across from you, Phoenix says, “It’s not too late to back down.”

“Your head’s almost as big as his, Trace,” you laugh, patting the top of Hangman’s hair.

“You take that back,” she retorts, falsely serious.

“Go!” shouts Fanboy.

Both sides surge forward. Your hands meet Phoenix’s, both of you laughing and straining against one another. Hangman’s grip on your thighs is grounding and forceful. This time, you know he won’t let you fall.

Phoenix’s eyes go wide, and you know you’ve got her. She yelps, and Rooster makes a strangled squawking sound very representative of his namesake, and they both tip over backwards, falling apart as soon as they hit the water.

“Yes!” Hangman yells, reaching up and lacing his fingers through yours in celebration. The spectators ooh and aah and whoop appreciatively, and you easily slide off of Hangman’s shoulders, landing with a small splash next to him.

Before you can speak, he bends and wraps his arms around your waist, lifting you partially out of the water in an embrace. Your stomach flip-flops, and it’s all you can do to hang on before he puts you down again—but doesn’t take his arms away.

“Oh, my god,” Phoenix calls, standing near Bob at the edge of the pool, wiping the water out of her face. She’s smiling, and she’s pitched her voice up a few levels to let you know she’s teasing. “Just kiss already!”

Hangman laughs. You don’t.

Then, to your horror, Coyote—who up till now had been minding his business on one of the loungers by the pool—puts his lips together and makes a loud, obnoxious smooching noise.

You disentangle yourself from Hangman’s arms and begin to wade back towards the steps, your face burning as everyone laughs, no one seeming to pick up on your genuine frustration. “You’re all children,” you call, not caring who hears you.

“Oh, come on—” Hangman’s voice starts out loud, but then gets quieter as you hear him splash ungracefully through the water after you. His fingers gently brush your wrist, but you shake him off and don’t look back.

“You cannot seriously be following me right now,” you grumble, grabbing up a towel and making straight for the pool house, Hangman’s footsteps following you the whole way.

“I’m sorry, okay?”

That stops you short. You turn, adjusting the towel, and stare at him with an arched eyebrow.

“I should have said something,” he says, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes. He didn’t bother to grab a towel like you, so his chest is still bare and dripping and stupidly distracting. “I don’t know why I let them tease you like that. I should have told them to stop. I’m sorry. Can you just…come back out? Please?”

“I don’t have feelings for you,” you say stubbornly.

“I know.” He doesn’t sound like he does.

“I don’t,” you say again.

“Okay,” he says, holding his hands up defensively.

“I mean it, Hangman.”

“I’m not arguing!” he says, a laugh bubbling out of him.

You’re not sure what takes over you, but suddenly you’re striding across the floor of the pool house, the towel falling out of your hands and pooling on the floor, and grabbing Hangman’s face in your hands, pulling him down to meet your mouth in an angry kiss.

Well, now you’re here, you think. Now what? 

Hangman answers that question for you. His hands meet your waist, sending shivers through you, and he tilts his head, deepening the kiss. His skin is cool and damp and intoxicating, and the droplets on his cheeks—

You pull away abruptly, blinking stupidly.

Fuck.

“What was that?” Hangman asks after a moment, eyeing you cautiously.

“I was proving a point,” your mouth says without permission.

“Okay.” He glances sideways before looking back at you. “What point?”

“That I don’t have feelings for you.”

He blinks. “Okay?”

An awkward silence settles over the pool house. Outside, you can hear splashing and laughter. No one is gathered at the door, clamoring for proof. No one has their ear pressed to the door, straining to hear you and Hangman’s juicy conversations. And you realize that you just kissed Jake Seresin for no real reason except… except….

Oh, god.

Except you wanted to.

You have feelings for Hangman.

“Oh, my god,” you groan, driving the heels of your palms into your eyes. “Oh, my god.” 

“I’m so confused,” says Hangman, and it comes out like a disbelieving laugh. “Do you seriously think this is all on you? You think they all tease you because of what you’re doing?”

“Oh, my god, stop talking,” you blurt, covering your face. “This cannot be happening.”

But Hangman steps closer. “It’s ‘cause I have feelings for you. And they all know it! That’s why they tease us.” He sighs. “And I’m sorry. I know you don’t feel the same.”

“Jake,” you snap, interrupting whatever self-righteous spiel he was clearly gearing up to give, and the usage of his name instead of his call-sign brings him up short. “Jake,” you say again. “I’m stupid.”

“I’m so confused,” he says again, and this time it sounds like he really means it.

But then you smile at him, and understanding finally, finally dawns in his eyes. You take half a step forward, closing the gap between you two, and you say softly, “I was too. But kissing helped a lot.”

He smiles crookedly, and this time, it isn’t infuriating. It’s endearing. And when he says in a low voice, “Guess I’ll just have to kiss you again, then,” it isn’t cocky and self-assured. It’s just Jake, knowing what he wants and finally getting it.

And you’re so glad to give it to him.

[embrethil]

Laurie could feel himself drifting off. The rhythmic rushing of the bow through the waves combined with the featureless view of blue-grey water to put him into a trance-like state. Mind you, it didn't help that they'd had a very satisfactory weekend of food, wine and sun.

The fishermen of St Helier had looked slight askance at them when they'd first arrived, but one evening in the pub had established Ralph's credentials as someone who knew what he was about. The rest of the time had passed in a blissful haze of fresh seafood, local cider and long evening walks on the sands which stretched all the way to St Aubin.

Saturday, as the tide went out they'd strolled after the retreating sea to the castle perched incongruously ona rock just outside the harbour. They'd een given a tour of some of the rooms, then gone to inspect the hermitage and long breakwaters before returning tot he "mainland" for ice cream.

By Sunday, Ralph had charmed someone into driving them to the southwesern corner of the island. There, they'd visited the lighthouse, which was apparently famous and certainly very picturesque. Ralph had enjoyed a very technical debate with the head keeper on the merits of parafin vs electric. Laurie had been more interested in the generous cream teas served at the lightkeepers' cottages after.

When Ralph had first come home talking about the yacht, Laurie had worried. Might it not be too much for them, with their different handicaps, to manage it alone? It was unthinkable to bring someone else along though. It would change the whole experience. He should have realised Ralph wouldn't get too caught up with the idea to forget his limitations.

They'd started with day sails along the south coast. This was as much to get Laurie familiar with sailing as anything else. He had to do the heavy work of raising and lowering sail as that required both hands, but nothing beyond his capability. He'd worried about his limp too, but again it hadn't been a bar to developing sea legs. This was their first proper trip and it had been a resounding success. Ralph was on now about teaching him navigation over the winter, but that was some months off yet.

Yes, it had been a very successful weekend indeed. As the island of Guernsey slipped past as a dark shadow to port in the evening sun, Laurie slipped into a contented doze, not quite asleep but not fully awake either, his thoughts running away down their own paths. A sudden shout from Raph roused him.

"Dolphins!"

It seemed a long time Laurie stared about, blinking. Blue water all around them, nothing to- Wait, yes! A grey back, two, more! Arrowing towards them outlined in white foam. The pod surrounded their small craft, leaping agilely alongside them. Laurie thought he sensed curiosity in the black eyes that looked up at him sidelong. The creatures were quick and powerful, long pale flanks gleaming, completely at ease. They kept company for a few minutes then forged ahead, setting course for Alderney. The little yacht followed.

[argyleheir]

Drabble - Revolve

[For Charioteer Prompt Week Day 3 - Prompt: School days | Pairing: Ralph/Hazell]

Three fifteen: the very time Lanyon's emerged from his study these last five days, and sure as you like, just has again.

Or would do, if Hazell wasn't in the way.

The swinging door hits him hard enough to produce a believable fall. He lands on his knees, then his hands, before finally dropping to his side, head cradled, the scattered mess of his satchel settling all around.

Lanyon gapes down at him—and then he glares. "What the hell were you thinking, running like that. Now come on, up—!"

His grip on Hazell's arm: nearly lingering this time.

[love-minor-poltergeist]

Are you still taking requests? If so, could I please request the Devil having a sorta flirtatious love hate relationship with fiddler. If you ever heard the Song, The Devil went down to Georgia, you’ll get it but the gist is, the Devil challenges the person to a fiddle competition and lost. But the fiddler offers for him to come on back and try again if he likes, quite rightfully proud of their musical skills even refusing a golden fiddle the Devil offered as a reward… supposedly

A/N: Oh anon your mind!

It took me a while to figure out how to tackle this prompt, and I had opted to make a short fic about it! I'm a little out of practice when it comes to writing something that isn't a set of bulletpoint hcs, so please don't be afraid to let me know what you think!

The Devil Went Down to Georgia Word Count: 2.3k

┍━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━┑

Your daddy had always been a religious man, as were most of the folks in your small town. 

Many hot summer Sundays were spent getting up early to get ready for church. The priest, hair thinning and skin glistening with sweat, shouting his sermon; eyes ablaze like the fire and brimstone he preached. All you could remember from his impassioned screaming was just how crazed he looked– the hellish landscape he painted forever burned into your mind. 

While Pa was nothing like that dreadful priest, he took those words to heart. Always warning to be wary of temptation. For temptation was the Devil’s way of leading you astray. You’ve never truly put your mind into the whole Heaven and Hell business— heck, you stopped coming to church long before your twentieth birthday– but you knew that Pa would never do you wrong. 

“The Devil is a man you don’t wanna mess with,” Pa said one day.

You agreed to help him chop some wood after Sunday mass; you don’t remember exactly what led the two of you down this conversation, but you remember feeling Pa’s watchful gaze focused on you as you dozed off during another sermon. 

“He’ll come to ya in a chariot of fire, taller than any building you’ve seen, and try to take ya away. Using pretty words and empty promises, and by the time ya see through that honeyed haze, yir as good as dead.” 

He finished point with one final swing of his ax, the loud crack of splintering wood causing you to flinch. 

Pa’s face softened, mumbling a small “sorry punkin” as he softly clapped a calloused hand on your shoulder. 

The two of you stood over the work you’ve done. Silently basking in the afterglow of progress.

After a few moments, Pa spoke once more. 

“I’m serious, Punkin,” you felt his hand tighten on your shoulder. “Promise me that if you ever meet the Devil, you do the right thing.” 

And so, you promised your pa. Swore on his and Mama’s graves that you’d turn tail and run if you ever crossed paths with the prince of darkness. 

Of course, a part of you thought Pa was paranoid. That he was letting his fear of god cloud his reason. Cause there ain’t no way that the big bad Devil would ever wander down into the middle of nowhere, Georgia. A part of you wasn’t even sure if he existed. 

But you wouldn’t dare say this out loud. Instead, you meekly smiled and promised your pa. Anything to ease his worries. 

And you kept that promise. Life continued. You fell into a comfortable, if not a little monotonous routine. Get up, help with the farm, play your fiddle for the cattle— rinse and repeat. 

That is until one day, during a dry summer not even a week ago, you met the Devil. 

It happened so quickly. Unexpectedly. One minute, you reclined against a stump, having just finished your chores for the day, and decided to relax while playing your fiddle. The very next minute, you had felt the ground shake.

He emerged from the earth. 

The ground was torn asunder as the prongs of a golden trident scorched the terrain an ashen black; a great gaping maw yawned open. Pillars of flame shot forth into the sky, the cries of birds resounding in your skull as the smell of smoke and tobacco filled your nose. You coughed, head swimming as you reached to cover your nose, nearly dropping your violin to the ground as you braced yourself against the roaring flames. 

Through burning pillars, a clawed hand emerged. With a snap of their fingers, the portal instantly closed, the fiery pillars forced down into their earthly furnace; leaving behind a blackened scar against the grass, and a looming figure. 

And as you slowly lower your arm, fingers tightening their grasp on your bow and fiddle– clutching both to your chest, desperate to get an extra layer of protection against the stranger– a small, foolhardy part of your panic-addled brain couldn’t help but notice one thing:

The Devil was a lot shorter than you’d thought he’d be. 

༻︶𓏶︶༺

You didn’t even know what spurred you to accept the demon’s challenge– beat him against a fiddle-playing competition, and you’ll win a golden fiddle of your own. And if you lose, your soul is forfeit. 

Truth be told, it was quite a crap deal. The prize he offered you was a bit… gaudy. Heck, who were you kidding? The thing was tacky and ugly. The strings looked way too stiff, too harsh for your weathered old bow. It wouldn’t serve much for anything other than as an oversized chachki. 

However, the way the demon looked at you– or rather, how his hooded gaze looked towards his talons…

He looked bored. Was he so confident that he’d win? Did he think that little of you?

You were so miffed that you found yourself saying yes without a second thought. The minute you did, a deep, haughty laughter filled your ear, and a pit formed in your stomach. A devious smile formed on his lips, eyes upturned and alight with arrogance. 

The darned bastard had thought he had it in the bag… 

Well. You did make a promise. 

However— Pa wasn’t there. 

And you’d be darned if some stranger could think he could walk all over you. 

So you may or not have… tried a little too hard in your wager. Just a little! Well, you technically had to. Since you didn’t want to lose your soul. However, despite the circumstances, you enjoyed your little competition. Not to mention that the further you two went, the more you felt that warm, drunken feeling of satisfaction well up in your belly. 

Cause for a demon so darned confident in himself, he was only really decent at it. Well, scratch that– he was good, but you played your beloved instrument almost every day. 

And the difference in skill was apparent. Extremely so. 

The Devil had felt his fingers ache and knuckles burn from how hard he gripped onto his bow, lips pulled into a tight frown as he watched you practically dance circles around him. Your hands were a flurry of movement and a grin steadily overtook your face the longer you played. 

By the time you had finished, the demon had already given up. He huffed, hackles raised and steam emanating from his fingertips. The black flesh of his cheeks was aglow with a deep, rusted red as he grumbled under his breath. 

With little fanfare, he tossed the golden fiddle down at your feet. None too gentle as it nearly hit your feet, forcing a jump for you. He turned away from you, his tail whipping about erratically, and raised his trident. 

Wait, that was it? No goodbye, no afterword? Not even a cliched speech about how “he’ll be back”? Is he just going to give up? Darn, you had a lot of fun— the horrible threat of losing your soul aside. No one indulged in music with you, not to mention keep up with your speed. 

You bit your lip, and you looked back towards the demon. 

Oh, your pa would kill you for this. 

Just as a portal was torn open, flooding your nose with the scent of smoke and sulfur, you made up your mind. 

You grabbed his tail.

The limb felt strange in your grasp. It was thin yet dense with underlying muscle; like grabbing onto a cottonmouth. Not to mention it was hot. Overwhelmingly hot. Practically burning your hand. You watched as the pointed tip quickly wrapped itself around your wrist; coiling itself until you felt the blood circulation become cut off.

Nevertheless, you persisted. Biting through the pain with watery eyes as the Devil immediately stopped. He whipped his bed back to you, nose scrunched and face pinched into a sour frown. A low growl emerged from his throat, annoyance clear as day in his sickly yellow eyes.

You grinned.

“Now hold on, Mr. Devil,”  you start, casually placing your fiddle on your shoulder. “I gotta say, that was probably the most excitement I’ve had in this part of Georgia in years-”

“Get on with it.” 

Yeesh. Someone was a little cranky. 

“Alright, alright, keep your pants on, mister,”  you snort. “Now, before I was so rudely interrupted, I just wanted to say you’re always welcome to come back!

”

The Devil’s face relaxed for a moment. Nose no longer as scrunched as week-old laundry and lips dropping its frown. He didn’t relax his grip on his trident. 

“What.” 

“Yup!” you chirp, your lips popping at the p– an action that didn’t escape the demon’s notice. “Listen, it gets mighty boring around here! You’re welcome to come on back if you want to try again!” 

The Devil turned to face you fully now, brows knitted together as he stared down at you. His mouth fell open, then closed, then open again. This repeated a few times as he silently stared at you. He shook his head, leaning his weight against his trident as he lowered himself to your height; eyes narrowed. 

“What.”

“Ya heard me.” 

“Hold that tongue of yours, yokel,” he spat. “What game are you playing?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your offer. You do realize the gravitas of this offer, no?”

“Yessir.”

“You said I was welcome to try again. Your soul will always be at stake, do you know that?”

“Yup.” 

“Once you lose it–”

“If I lose it. Ya haven’t beaten me yet.”

“Oh shut it, you little shoehorn,” he jabbed a clawed finger at your chest. “Once you lose it, your soul is mine, and you’ll be cursed to live out the rest of your pitiful existence as a husk. Devoid of any consciousness.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’ll be a zombie, you moron.”

“Copy that, captain.” 

“Are you normally this stupid?”

He grabbed your shoulder at that point, eyes wild and teeth bared. You felt the hot, piercing tip of the prongs of his trident press against your neck; his breath– rich and hot with the scent of tobacco– hit your face in warm puffs. The demon’s nose brushed against yours, and god almighty if he moved any closer the two of you would be kissing. 

Soft, traitorous warmth found itself seeping into your cheeks. Your heart flipped-flopped about in your ribcage like a trout out of water, and you silently prayed that the demon couldn’t hear it as you mustered up a cocky grin. 

“Nope. I’m just the best there ever was.” 

A growl, low and gravelly, rumbled from the Devil’s throat. A look of annoyance filled his eyes as he clicked his tongue. He let go of your shoulder and rose to his full height. The prongs of his trident eased their bite on your neck, no longer threatening to stab into the pliant flesh of your windpipe. 

Blazing metal slowly traveled upwards, leaving behind whispers of heat in their wake as the Devil slowly eased it beneath your chin. The Devil slowly and methodically craned your head up, quietly relishing the way your throat struggled to force down a nervous swallow. 

The demon remained silent the entire way through. Only breaking it to occasionally growl if you tried to speak; his eyes lidded and lips threaded into a thin line. The Devil's tail moved to and fro in a metronomic pattern as his gaze grew hooded; contemplation weighing the lids down as he raised a large hand towards his mouth. 

The entire interaction lasted maybe only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity had passed before the silence was broken by another low rumble from the Devil. Not quite a growl, but it wasn’t a purr, either. You couldn’t put your finger on it. However, you could guess it only meant something good, as the Devil finally moved his trident away; and you find yourself shakily releasing a breath you didn’t even know you were holding. 

“Very well.” The Devil shifted his trident beside him once more. “I accept your offer.”

He knocked the butt of his trident against the earth once, twice, and the earth yawned open once more. Red light washed over the demon’s form, illuminating the demon’s back in a crimson halo. 

He grinned, baring sharp teeth, eyes full of malintent, and your stomach rolled as you could only imagine what was going on in that man’s head. 

“I won’t stop until that soul is mine, little mortal.” He pointed a finger towards you. “You best keep yourself sharp. I’d hate to be disappointed after all of that talk.” 

You watched as he stepped a foot within the portal, cheeks pained as you fought to maintain your cocky grin. 

“Lookin’ forward to it, sweetness.” 

The endearment was tacked on at the last minute. You didn’t mean anything by it. After all, you had just beat the Devil at his own game. You were safe. For now, at least. Perhaps it was just the high of victory that had pushed you to be a bit more saucy with the demon. 

What you didn’t expect, however, was the way his face fell. It was hard to make out from the red light of the portal beneath him, but you coulda swore that you saw his dark cheeks become a rusted brown. 

He turned his head before you could look any further, an annoyed huff following after. 

“Good grief you’re annoying.” You heard him mutter. “I cannot wait to crush your pathetic body into the ground.”

“Don’t get too excited, Mr. D.” 

Oh my god, why couldn’t you just shut up?

“Keep talking like that and I’ll start to think that you want to see me again.” 

While a part of you panicked, it was overpowered by a snort as the Devil let out an offended ‘UGH’ before leaving. He had practically leaped into the portal, desperate to get away, leaving behind smoldering earth in his wake. 

As you stood there, heart frantically racing, all you could do was wonder when the next time you’d see him would be. 

And you silently apologized to your pa for looking forward to seeing the Devil again. 

┕━━━━━♥♠♣♦━━━━━┙

[zexalmonth]

Zexal Month 2023's coming up! From August 1st to the 31st, we’ll be celebrating our 7th Zexal Month! We're doing a Tarot theme!

All our prompts are based on the 23 Major Arcana! You can follow the written prompts or just draw something based on the actual arcana for the day!

For those who are with us for the first time, we have prompts with some suggestions attached to them. You can focus on characters, concepts or OCs, as long as it’s somehow Zexal related and we'll reblog it if it's tagged with #zexal month 2023. In addition to the daily prompts, we have a list of alternate prompts at the end of the list! We hope you have fun with it.

Week 1: Welcome to the Kingdom

1st: The Fool upright | Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit The king calls you all to introduce yourselves. Hello, fools! Who are you and how did you get into Zexal? 2nd: The Magician upright | Manifestation, resourcefulness, power, inspired action Duel monsters are the manifestation of the soul, so show us your favourite duel monster or card! Alternatively, show us your favourite Numbers Card! 3rd: The High Priestess upright | Intuition, sacred knowledge, the subconscious mind Music can do miraculous things to the subconscious mind. You can make something based on the soundtrack or themes/motifs you like. As a challenge, put on one of the Zexal soundtracks and try to make something before the song ends! Show it to us! 4th: The Empress upright | Femininity, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance The empress summons you to talk about someone you truly care for. What makes your favourite character your favourite? If you have an OC, feel free to talk about them! Also, we love women, so if you want, show some female characters appreciation!

Week 2: Secrets of the Royal Court

7th- The Emperor upright | Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure All hail the barian emperors! Show us a piece about our favourite alien warlords and/or Don Thousand. You can also show us a non-barian Character as a Barian or something else Barian-related. Alternatively, an upright emperor also represents a father figure. Kazama? Faker? Tron? An OC or self-insert? Show us daddy issues something inspired by them! 8th- The Hierophant reversed | Personal beliefs, freedom, challenging the status quo The reversed hierophant means freedom and non-uniformity, so it’s dress up day! Put a Zexal character (or OC) in a new set of clothes they would/wouldn’t wear! Historically accurate clothes for Barians’ past lives? Mini skirt IV? Droite in her wrestler attire? Astral in a tutu? Just show us fashion!  9th- The Lovers upright | Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices Time to spread the love! OTPs? OT3s? BROTPs? Character x Reader? Character x OC? The lovers card is all about ‘belonging’. What relationships do these characters have?    Draw us your ships, friendships or your favourite group of characters (Number’s Club, Sanyuushi, Arclights etc.) enjoying each others’ company. You can also show us the families of your favourite characters and create relatives for them if you prefer.  10th- The Chariot reversed | Self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction Sure, we have a “plot” but Zexal has lots of filler episodes and fun, zany detours! Show what sort of sports or hobbies the characters would get involved with in their spare time. 11th- Justice upright | Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law Time to put a Zexal character on trial! What crimes are they charged for? What is the verdict? What is the punishment?  Feel free to get silly with this (Phoenix Wright, anyone?) or be as grim/morbid as you like. Will Vector finally pay for his transgressions? Up to you!

Week 3: Into the Woods

14th- The Hermit upright | Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance As you are banished into the woods for your hot takes, you’re able to reflect on a long-forgotten friend. Make something based on your favourite obscure or minor character. Give those one-shot duelists some love! 15th- The Wheel of Fortune upright | Good luck, life cycles, destiny, a turning point Let’s just put your favorite characters on a game show. Can you imagine a Family Feud with Arclights vs Tenjos? Does anyone get lucky?  What sort of entertainment (outside of card games) do you think you’d see in Heartland City? 16th- Strength upright | Strength, courage, persuasion, influence, compassion Fight! Fight! Fight! In a contest of pure strength, who would win? Who do you NOT want to face in hand-to-hand combat. Who would you duel? If you want to keep yourself out of the fight, show two characters in a fight/duel! Bonus points if they haven’t canonically fought before.  17th- The Hanged Man upright | Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives A change of perspective! Is there any character you didn't like at the start, but ended up loving, or vice versa? Who is it and why?  Alternatively, what relationships do you wish we saw? What interactions did Zexal deprive us from? 18th- Temperance upright | Balance, moderation, patience, purpose Sometimes, your friends get on your nerves and you have to be patient with them. But it’s really hard when they’re mostly middle schoolers. How do you think characters would spend a Boys/Girls’ Night Out? What about a slumber party instead?

Week 4: Exile

21st- The Devil reversed | Releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachment Show us your villains or your favourite character(s) as a villain. Does their deck change as well? 22nd- The Tower upright | Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening Show us your favourite punching bag hurting emotionally (whether from a death, tragedy, breakup or something else), in physical agony, or just having a good cry. Zexal is no stranger to angst, after all (we got how many death montages at the end of the series?).  If there are triggers or graphic themes/visuals, remember to tag them! 23rd- The Moon reversed | Release of fear, repressed emotion, inner confusion Some parts of Zexal were confusing and some plot points were forgotten. What do you wish you could have seen MORE of? Alternatively, is there something you didn’t like in Zexal? What and why? Show us what you would have preferred/thought was interesting! Explore a scenario that could have drastically altered Zexal. e.g. What if Kaito died of space cancer at the end of season 1? 24th- The Star upright | Hope, faith, purpose, renewal, spirituality Let’s change the tone of this week. Zexal is full of mythology and spirituality. Show us some of your favourite themes/lore in the show!   25th- The Sun upright | Positivity, fun, warmth, success, vitality The sun represents warm feelings as much as it represents treasure/wealth. Give your favourite character a cursed weapon or treasure. How do they react? What do they do with it? If you want a challenge, grab an image of Yuma’s room and pick a treasure/object. Draw it and/or give it a story. III definitely would love to hear you talk about it! 

Week 5: Court of the Dead

28th- Death upright | Endings, change, transformation, transition How’s the future for Zexal characters? Show us what you think a Zexal character (or several) are doing post-series or how they look when they grow up? 29th- Judgement upright | Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution Zexal ended a long time ago but it’s time to give it a bit of new life. It’s crossover day! How would a Zexal character look/act in the world of the fandom you're into now (or vice versa)? 30th- The World upright | Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel Scenery appreciation! (Tell us what’s your favorite location in Zexal). Alternatively, show us a location where the Zexal characters you like would go on vacation or for an adventure. 31st-  The Deck Summarise your Zexal Month 2023! What did you like? What didn’t you like? Any shout-outs you want to give?  

---------------------------------

Alternate prompts

As per usual, alternate prompts are meant for ANY day and you can do as many or as few alternate prompts as you like. I can’t stop you if you want to do prompt 10) thirty-one times during Zexal month. 

Holding back/recklessness

Manipulation/poor planning

Dreams/delusions

Age-swap/younger days

Insecurities 

Parallel worlds / Fused world

“But there is only one bed…”

“Can you explain why I have to bail you guys out of jail AGAIN?”

A heist!

Middle school/High school AU

Lunchtime shenanigans

Fantasy/Fairytale AU

Hygge: A very strong feeling of cosiness, of a special moment, alone or with friends, where you feel utterly content, secure, reassured, comforted, and even kinship if you’re among loved ones. 

Verschlimmbessern: To fix something but only make it worse

Backpfeifengesicht: A face badly in need of a fist.

Body Swap/Soul swap

---------------------------------

As usual, feel free to do whichever prompts you like in whatever order you want. These prompts are a guideline, rather than a hard rule, and you can make art, write fanfiction, make amvs/animatics or just talk about it! Just do what you can manage! No need to do all of them if you don’t want to.

Also, we have a new mod on the team to join me and Iris. Welcome mod Fla!

We can't wait for this August to see what you share with the fandom! Please share this around and spread the Zexal love!

Love Mod Pyra

[chimera-tail]

So, after some discussion with my lovely moot @aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna, we decided to make a fanfiction based on one of her hcs about the time when one of Kunti's children was cursed to become female on their eighteenth birthday, and that someone turned out to be Arjuna.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honestly, Arjuna should have seen the signs.

It all started a week ago. He remembered talking to his brothers when, for a moment, his voice suddenly became very shrilly, almost feminine-like, before returning back to his normal deep, velvety voice. His brothers stared at him like he’d grown a second head. It was truly one of the worst voice cracks he had experienced—at least, that’s what he had thought it was.

Then, a couple of days after the incident, Arjuna decided to go for a swim all by himself. As he stripped, he looked into the clear, blue water. To his utter shock and horror, he saw not him but someone else staring back at him. He saw a woman staring back with her enchanting eyes.

But it wasn’t just any ordinary woman—no, the woman was gorgeous. Her long, luscious hair cascaded in waves down her back like a silken waterfall of midnight, catching the light and shimmering in the river. The high cheekbones and finely arched eyebrows framed a pair of eyes that were nothing short of mesmerising. They were large and expressive, framed by thick, dark lashes, with a mysterious allure that could draw anyone in. The colour of her eyes was an exquisite blend of twilight and dawn, drawing anyone who met her gaze into a spellbinding trance. Her lips, full and perfectly shaped, carried a subtle, inviting curve as she stared at him. Her body was toned, every muscle defined yet softened by her curves. Her shoulders were strong yet graceful, leading down to arms that seemed capable of both tender caresses and formidable strength.

The sight, no matter how entrancing, startled Arjuna. He was sure that he was all alone. he blinked and rubbed his eyes, and as soon as he opened them, the only thing staring back at him was his own reflection. The woman’s reflection or the woman herself was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t tell anyone about this.

Finally, it was the night before his birthday. Everyone was ecstatic for him since he would turn eighteen—an adult; everyone except his mother, Kunti, whom he caught staring whenever he looked at her. She looked nervous and anxious, her skin paler than usual. He had made a mental note to ask her about her worries the next day.

He wished he had asked her sooner.

Arjuna woke up with an excruciating pain that spread all across his body. It felt as if his body was being burned and being run over by a hundred chariots at the same time. He groaned and rolled out of the bed, falling on the hard floor with a loud thud. He clasped his chest, feeling as if something was trying to tear its way through. He gritted his teeth and tried to crawl, but he felt another jolt of pain up his limbs, causing tears to blur his vision.

He bent his head down, his hair falling in front of his face, and a mixture of shock and confusion flooded his senses. His hair was way longer than before, so much so that they pooled on the floor. However, before he could react properly, he felt an agonising pain near his hip area, prompting him to do something he had never done before.

He let out a blood-curdling scream—one which was so loud and haunting that his voice was the only thing he could hear, sending shivers up his spine. He barely registered the commotion outside his room, the hurried footsteps and the frantic calling of his brothers.

“H-help…” Arjuna managed to croak as he saw the hazy silhouettes of his family rushing into the room. He heard a faint gasp from his mother as his vision started to become blurry.

“Arjuna, no!”

Then, everything became black.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part two will be posted on @aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna's soon!!<333

[half-blood-community]

Hi Half-blood Homies! This is your Online Demigod Safe Haven!

This is the blog for all riordanverse fans out there, seeking refugee on the internet. I'm so happy you found this account.

On this blog we will have multiple entertaining and fun things for all demigods to participate in, such as:

The Daily Pol Weekly Announced Honorary Demigod, Ship, and RP Blog (Sundays)

Hot Take Diccusions (Wednesdays)

Riordan Roleplay Prompts (Tuesdays)

Writing Prompts (Mondays)

Monthly Games of Capture the Fanfic (Second Weekend)

Monthly Games of Reclaim the Chariot (Third Weekend)

The Monthly Trivia (All Month)

The Story Wars (First-Second Week)

Fanart Prompts (Thursdays)

Ask the Demigod (Constant)

Demigod Spotify Playlists (Constant Updates)

And more to come!

We are always up for suggestions! Let us know if you have any!

Go to these links below for more information!

DEMIGOD SPOTIFY MASTERLIST: https://www.tumblr.com/half-blood-community/750412278671736832/demigod-spotify-masterlist?source=share

ASK A DEMIGOD: https://www.tumblr.com/half-blood-community/750401233454497792/demigod-asks?source=share

RIORDAN ROLEPLAY PROMPTS: https://www.tumblr.com/half-blood-community/750456213885616128/riordan-roleplay-prompts-intro?source=share

HOT TAKE DISCUSSIONS: https://www.tumblr.com/half-blood-community/750579332997627904/hot-take-discussions?source=share

THIS WEEKS HONORARY:

DEMIGOD: PERCY JACKSON

(BRO) OTP: JERCY

RP BLOG: @jason-child-of-rome-grace

Follow us on Wattpad (/@half_blood_community/)

[lady-lostmind]

You Jump, I Jump.

Love is: Stealing an RV together.

a @steddielovemonth prompt Thank you @oh-stars for betaing this!

WC: 1,105 | Rating: T

ao3 link

Steve knows he’s being stupid. Knows he shouldn’t be taking this so seriously. But he really thought he finally had it figured out. He thought he found the thing he’d been searching for this whole time. Something he was actually good at. That he enjoys doing. 

And he never thought it would actually go anywhere, when he started. He thought he could just play shitty bars and open mics and that would be enough. That even if he had to work some shitty job he hates, even if he ended up having to finally take his dad up on his offer to work at his company, at least he would have this. To keep him sane. To keep him fulfilled. 

But then there had been the talent scout, and offers to be flown out to California, and talks of record deals and labels. And he let his hopes build. Thought that maybe he could actually do this. Like, make this his life. He should have known better. 

He should have known to read through the contracts he signed. He should have known it was too good to be true. 

He stares at the door of Eddie’s trailer feeling like dirt. All his dreams of whisking him out of this shitty town thrown out the window. He doesn’t even know how to break the news to him. Really doesn’t want to talk about this at all. 

Steve sighs and knocks on the door. Isn’t even sure Eddie will hear it over the music blasting inside. But the door swings open, and Eddie’s face drops in shock before pulling into a wide grin. 

“What are you doing here, sweetheart? I thought you couldn’t get away for another couple weeks.” Eddie steps back, making room for Steve to come inside. 

Steve glances around, feeling antsy. He doesn’t want to go in. If he goes in they’ll sit down in the living room, and Eddie will light a joint and look at him with those big brown eyes, and he’ll ask. He’ll know something happened and he’ll ask, and they’ll talk. And Steve doesn’t want to do that. He wants to be moving. He wants to go.  He wants to–

“Can we get out of here?” His voice is strained and he watches Eddie’s eyes track what he’s sure is distress on his face. 

Eddie nods, leaning back in to grab his jacket. “Sure, where do you want to go?” 

Steve shrugs as Eddie pulls the door shut and hovers near him on the steps. “I don’t know just…away. Let’s go on a road trip. Just the two of us.”

Eddie’s eyes go wide. “Uh– in what? My van is still fucked after I hit that tree last month. I’ve been walking everywhere.”

Steve looks around again, spotting a shitty, beat up RV in the corner of the trailer park. He points at it. “That.”

Eddie chuckles. “Uh– In Mr. Jenkin’s shitty old RV?

Steve nods. “He moved last year, right? He’s not using it anymore. It’s just sitting there”

A grin pulls at Eddie’s mouth. “Still not really ours to take, Stevie.”

Steve grins at him, letting his eyes linger on his lips before flicking back up to meet his gaze. “Come on. Think about it. You, me, the open road. We can just drive. Just…go.” 

Eddie’s eyes flash with understanding, like he knows why Steve needs to escape. Like he doesn’t even have to explain. 

He dips into a bow, arm pointing in the direction of the RV. “Your chariot awaits, my liege.” 

Steve’s face pulls into a wide smile, a weight lifting off his shoulders as he walks backward, keeping his eyes on Eddie as he moves to follow him. Watches as his face twists into a menacing grin and he picks up pace, making Steve shriek and turn to run from him, laughter bubbling up from his chest. Eddie grabs him around the middle and hoists him over his shoulder, running into the shadows along the back of the RV. Steve smacks his back, trying to catch his breath as Eddie sets him down and presses him against the RV, leaning in close, and dropping his voice.

“Okay, baby. I’m going to climb in through the window. You go around to the door and I’ll let you in, okay?”

Steve nods, his heart racing as he watches Eddie take one last look around the trailer park before scrambling up the side and popping the window open with his shoulder. He falls through, landing inside with a soft thud. Steve makes his way to the door, bouncing on his feet as he waits for Eddie. 

The door swings open and Steve is hauled inside and pushed into the passenger seat as Eddie flops into the driver’s and starts pulling wires down from the dash. Steve stares at him with wide eyes. Can’t deny the fact that this is turning him on. Watching Eddie’s hands work quickly to fucking hotwire this thing. Like it’s nothing. Like he does this everyday. 

Eddie glances over at him with a smirk. “What’s that look for?” 

Steve shakes his head. “Nothing just…It’s one thing to know you used to steal cars with your dad. In theory. To know you have the knowledge. It’s another to…see it.” 

Eddie huffs out a laugh. “Like what you see, big boy?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Oh, shut up. You’re hot. We get it.” 

The RV roars to life and Eddie lets out a victory whoop as he throws it in gear and steps on the gas, lurching them forward. 

–

Steve stares out the window, dark fields rushing by in a blur. He rolls down the window, the cool night air rushing in. Steve takes a deep breath and leans back, turning his head to stare at Eddie, drumming his hands on the steering wheel, hair flying all around him in the breeze. Steve feels his heart swell. Doesn’t think he’s ever felt more loved than right now. Knowing this man would risk it all, just to take Steve on a drive to distract him from whatever it is he’s running from. That he didn’t even ask. Just jumped. 

Steve knows he can’t run forever. Knows that eventually, he’ll have to face this. That he’ll have to accept that he failed. That he got so close just to see it all slip through his fingers. But for now, he sticks his hand out the window, feels the air rush past and sings. He sings along to the radio, sings to the man he loves, sings for himself, and sits back while the road takes them forward.